NZ Actress One of Sundance Festival’s Breakout Stars
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie has been named one of the five breakout stars of the Sundance Film Festival in an article in The Hollywood Reporter. The New Zealand actress is starring in Leave No…
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Martin Henderson Reveals He’s Yet to Master Accents
He’s the Auckland-born actor best known for his role on American drama Grey’s Anatomy. But despite the show being filmed and set abroad, former Shortland Street heart-throb Martin Henderson, 43, admits he is yet…
Praise for Anthony McCarten’s Darkest Hour
Written by New Zealand-born filmmaker, Academy Award-nominated Anthony McCarten – best known for the screenplay he wrote for The Theory of Everything – Winston Churchill biopic Darkest Hour “is an expertly crafted history lesson…
Hollywood Directors Like Niki Caro a Force
Never in the history of Hollywood has more than one female filmmaker been at the helm of a feature with a budget of USD$100 million or more – until now. On the heels of…
Beulah Koale’s Role Breakout Performance of ‘17
New Zealand actor Beulah Koale’s role in the 2017 film Thank You For Your Service has been deemed a “breakout” performance of the year by industry publication Variety. “As more people discover this quiet gem…
Anthony McCarten on the Challenge of Churchill
Darkest Hour depicts Winston Churchill in the crucial weeks that defined him as a wartime leader. Screen Daily’s Jeremy Kay talks to writer-producer, New Plymouth-born Anthony McCarten and Working Title’s Eric Fellner about taking…
Jumanji Star Rhys Darby’s Profile on Rise in US
In the Jumanji sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, there’s also a cadre of non-playable characters the untested heroes must contend with, one of which is played by New…
Meet the Feebles Had No Taste at All
New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson has gained the reputation of being a genuine class act, thanks to films like Heavenly Creatures, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his remake of King Kong. But…
Amazing Race Host Phil Keoghan Amasses 30 Seasons
With the cold of the Northern Hemisphere winter settling in and outdoor activities coming to a standstill, there’s nothing better to get your heart pumping than reality TV favourite The Amazing Race, hosted by…
Peter Jackson’s Mortal Engines Teaser Released
The first footage of Peter Jackson’s fantasy movie Mortal Engines, an adaptation of Phillip Reeve’s novel, has finally landed,” writes Jack Shepherd in an article for
Home and Away’s George Mason Readies for Finale
Long-running Australian soap Home and Away has become famous for its dramatic end-of-year finales and according to New Zealand actor George Mason, who plays Summer Bay’s well-meaning bad boy Ash, this year is no…
Top of the Lake Creators Get Together for a Laugh
The team behind Top of the Lake: China Girl plunges into prostitution, illegal surrogacy, motherhood – and humour. New Zealander Jane Campion and Australian collaborators co-creator Gerard Lee and co-director Ariel Kleiman discuss the show in…
Niki Caro Discusses Sexual Harassment in Hollywood
Sharing stories about the bad behaviour of powerful men in Hollywood has long been a perverse practice in the film industry, according to Wellington-born film director Niki Caro (pictured second from right), speaking to…
Maori Moana Soundtrack Released by Disney
After the animated musical-adventure Moana was translated into Maori and screened for free in 30 theatres across New Zealand in September, Disney has since released the Maori version of the soundtrack. “The film’s best…
New Zealand’s Alternative to Sexiest Man Alive
“You don’t have to be a Hemsworth brother or a famously stylish soccer icon to – at least on our list.” In lieu of People’s 2017 choice of country…
Riverdale’s KJ Apa Dresses Up and Down
“KJ Apa is the comic book hero next door. (But you already knew that.) As Archie in the surprise-hit series Riverdale, the New Zealand-born actor manages to strike a balance between the wholesome source…
MasterChef Monica Galetti Returns to TV Screens
If you thought the heat in the kitchen was intense on MasterChef, it’s arguably hotter in its spin-off, MasterChef: The Professionals. The UK’s Daily Express reports. Called TV’s cruellest reality show, the contest challenges real-life…
Grey’s Anatomy Star Martin Henderson Exits Series
Another doctor has left the building on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. New Zealander Martin Henderson was written out of the drama, following a two-season-plus run as a series regular. Auckland-born Henderson, 43, joined Grey’s as a…
Is Making a Marvel Movie Good for Directors?
Filmmakers like New Zealander Taika Waititi can keep never-ending movie sequels from feeling stale, while also attracting critical approval. But are the bonuses that come with Marvel’s largesse enough to combat the downsides of…
Anna Paquin Stars in Atwood Adaption Alias Grace
Alias Grace, Netflix’s limited series from writer/producer Sarah Polley and director Mary Harron based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, dives deep into the life of the convicted murderer, but whether or not she was truly…
Jason Lei Howden’s Deathgasm Celebrates Metalheads
Since Mario Bava’s 1963 film Black Sabbath inspired the Brummie band, metalheads and moviemakers have shared a deal with the devil. The Guardian summons the filthy lyrics, moral panics and nostalgia of a genre…
Gaylene Preston’s Year With Helen Clark
When Helen Clark ran for the post of UN Secretary-General in 2016, Gaylene Preston was by her side. The New Zealand filmmaker, who initially contacted Clark about documenting her life as the then-head of…
Melanie Lynskey on Finding Her Feet in Hollywood
New Zealander Melanie Lynskey is the star of Castle Rock, but it’s not in her nature to act like one, so between takes, she hangs out with the extras and crew. The television series,…
Actor Beulah Koale Shines as Heartfelt Warrior
“Miles Teller hits the true note, and so does the rest of a superb cast , in a drama of Iraq War veterans that sidesteps all the coming-home clichés,” Variety’s Owen…
Taika Waititi Puts His Stamp on the Thor Franchise
In many ways, Taika Waititi neatly fits the mould of a lively director plucked from indiedom and placed at the centre of a franchise. He’s stylish, funny and confident, Dan Kois writes in a…
Step Back in Time With Rebecca Gibney
Crossing the Tasman Sea when she was just 19-years-old, Levin-born actress Rebecca Gibney, who currently stars in television drama series Wanted, has become one of Australia’s most popular actresses. Recently, the 52-year-old four-time Logie winner…
Thor: Ragnarok Marvel’s Best Film to Date
Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok has an “oddly beautiful scuffed-plastic aesthetic”; it’s “funny, charming, dazzling, gorgeously designed, and full of actors you already like,” with Waititi managing “to finally imbue Marvel’s dullest Avenger with a…
Sara Wiseman and Craig Hall Acting Up Together
New Zealand actors and couple Sara Wiseman, 45, and Craig Hall, 43, work together on Australian series A Place to Call Home. Wiseman, who grew up in Auckland, gives the Herald Sun her tips…
New Zealand Film Team Transforms London
The bestselling book by Peter Reeve, Mortal Engines, is now being adapted for film by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, with visual effects specialist New Zealander Christian Rivers directing the project and…
KJ Apa Chats About Archie’s Second Season
Right now, only a handful of people know what happens after the big cliffhanger from Riverdale’s season one finale: whether or not Fred Andrews, who was shot in Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, has survived. But…
New Zealand Contingent Screenwriting Pioneers
“To make a good film,” Alfred Hitchcock once said, “you need three things: the script, the script, and the script.” Yet while it’s easy to find (and argue over) lists of the greatest films…
Rising Star Vinnie Bennett Hits Toronto
New Zealander Vinnie Bennett, 25, who stars in Nic Gorman’s Human Traces, was one of seven actors selected to participate in this year’s Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF’s) Rising Stars programme. For four days during…
Toronto Film Fest Review of Human Traces
“A sub-Antarctic research station is the setting for Human Traces, a twisty psychological thriller from promising New Zealand director Nic Gorman,” Richard Kuipers writes in a review for Variety. “Isolation is anything but splendid in…
NZ-UK Co-Production 6 Days to Screen on Netflix
The heroism of SAS soldier, Scotland-born John McAleese is being brought to the small screen in a joint £20 million UK-New Zealand co-production called 6 Days, which screens on Netflix on 3 November. The…
Waru “An Authentic, Multi-Voiced Story”
“A fascinating glimpse into New Zealand’s contemporary Maori community, Waru brings a sense of dramatic, urgent realism to a story that plays out like a suspenseful mystery,” writes Deborah Young in an article for…
Jane Campion’s Real Life Motherhood Plot
Amidst Top of the Lake: China Girl’s central thematic story lines related to motherhood – Mary’s relationship with Julia grows tense as she gets to know Robin – there was a real-life motherhood “plot”…
NZ Acting Coach Miranda Harcourt Gets Emmy Shout Out From Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman has thanked Wellington acting coach Miranda Harcourt in her heartfelt acceptance speech after winning an Emmy for her role on the TV series Big Little Lies, as reported…
Jane Campion on Her Ovarian Series
The legality of prostitution and commercial surrogacy, the exploitation of women involved in both – in the end, Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake: China Girl explored those issues more than it explored the…
Sam Neill Nominated for Another Emmy
A few days out from the Emmy Awards, where Sam Neill, 70, has been nominated in the outstanding narrator category for his work on documentary series Wild New Zealand, the actor showed he was…
Kimberley Crossman To Star in Showtime’s ‘SMILF’
“The upcoming Showtime comedy series SMILF has cast New Zealand-born actress Kimberley Crossman in a recurring role,” reports Joe Otterson for Variety. Crossman will play Kit-Cat, the roommate of…
Callan Mulvey Joins Outlaw King Cast
Auckland-born actor Callan Mulvey, 42, is joining the cast of upcoming American-Scottish historical action drama Outlaw King, which will be aired on Netflix. According to Variety, Mulvey will be playing the role of Sir John…
Stefania LaVie Owen Cast in Dick Cheney Biopic Casts
Kiwi actress “Stefania LaVie Owen has joined Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Amy Adams, and Bill Pullman in Annapura’s Dick Cheney biopic, titled Backseat, written and directed by Adam McKay,” as reported on
How Rugby Helped Jared James In Japan
For a Japanese national, the question of why a person from the West would come to Japan is a fascinating one, so much so that there’s even a TV show about it: You wa…
Richard Wilkins Shares Wildest Backstage Memories
“As an entertainment reporter for more than 30 years, you’d have a lot to talk about,” writes Benjamin Potter in an article in the Daily Mail. He’s referring to Richard…
Small Screen Gives Jane Campion New Space to Shine
In a review of Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake: China Girl, which is currently screening on BBC2 in the UK, the Guardian’s Sam Wollaston says that not only is lead Elisabeth Moss “mesmerising,…
Start Getting Excited About Taika Waititi’s Thor
The Taika Waititi-directed Thor: Ragnarok might just be “one of the greatest Marvel movies ever,” according to Forbes contributor Dani Di Placido. It’s shorter, a lot was improvised, and it’s embracing the insanity of…
Danielle Cormack Sees Kenya’s Drought Firsthand
Danielle Cormack, the New Zealand-born actress well known for her on-screen roles in Australian television shows Wentworth, Rake and Deep Water, has spoken of her first-hand experience of the devastating impact of climate change…
Phil Keoghan Captures Essence of NZ in New Show
Phil Keoghan’s 16-year tenure as host of The Amazing Race means he never spends too much time in any given place. But in his off-time from jet setting around the world filming the show’s…
Weta Digital Underway on Avatar Sequels
“Weta Digital has announced that it has gotten underway on the four Avatar sequels that James Cameron will direct for Fox,” writes Mike Fleming Jr in an article for Deadline…
The Life Of A Zombie: Rose McIver Says It’s Great
In iZombie Kiwi actress Rose McIver’s world as a zombie is ever-changing, which often makes preparation difficult. “In the series, McIver’s character, a zombified medical examiner, has to snack on others’ brains in order…
Jane Campion is a Clever Person Doing TV
From Sweetie to The Piano, New Zealander Jane Campion has made some of cinema’s strangest, strongest films. So why has she switched to the small screen? The Guardian investigates. It is eight years since Campion,…
Earth Live With Phil Keoghan for Nat Geo
Phil Keoghan has seen the world for 29 seasons as host of The Amazing Race. But the New Zealander had never seen the world the way he did on last week’s two-hour National Geographic…
Jane Campion on Inspiration Behind New TOTL Series
Fans of the critically acclaimed crime drama Top of the Lake will be eagerly awaiting its return at the end of this month – but writer New Zealand-born Jane Campion admits to the Observer…
John Clarke Remembered in Final Tribute
Geoffrey Rush, David Wenham and Gina Riley joined a line-up of some of Australia’s biggest names in television to pay a final tribute to renowned satirist, Palmerston North-born John Clarke in a packed out…
iZombie and Rose McIver Still Winning Fans
Season three of the “enjoyable series” iZombie, “an adaptation of the DC Comic of the same name and starring New Zealand-born actress Rose McIver, 28, has continued to get the basics right while expanding…
Producer David Metcalf’s Indonesian Labour of Love
Produced by photographer New Zealander David Metcalf and directed by Indonesian filmmaker Erick Est, documentary Journey to Long Saan is a three-year labour of love that explores themes related to Kenyah Dayak tribe elder…
