Sam Rockwell, ScarJo Join Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit
After breaking out in a major way in Hollywood by directing the critically acclaimed action-comedy Thor: Ragnarok, New Zealander Taika Waititi’s next film is going to…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Russian Film Fest Prize for Kieran Charnock
New Zealander Kieran Charnock, 26, has won best actor at the Moscow International Film Festival for his role in the independent film Stray. The award was presented by Nastassja Kinski.
Scott Dixon Competes on American Ninja Warrior
New Zealand four-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon will enter the realm of reality TV when he auditions in Indianapolis this week for American Ninja Warrior. Dixon, 37, nicknamed “The Iceman,” thought it sounded fun when…
Roger Donaldson On ‘Sleeping Dogs’ And ‘Cocktail’
“Cocktail, No Way Out, The Bounty, Species, The World’s Fastest Indian, Dante’s Peak – director Roger Donaldson’s resume is brimming with crowd-pleasing Hollywood movies, some of them seminal,” writes Simon Thompson in an article…
Sweet Country’s Sam Neill Marks Milestone
As is the case with many a beloved screen actor, everyone has their own mental image of Sam Neill, Karen Han writes for the Village Voice. For some, it’s of the prickly paleontologist Dr…
Karl Urban in Dubai for Comic Con
New Zealand actor 45-year-old Karl Urban “is basically Comic Con personified”, according to Arab News, “with a deep sci-fi fantasy pedigree running from Xena: Warrior Princess through Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Lord of the…
NZ’s Global Winners Celebrated in New Series Dream Catchers
Many Kiwis who touch down in the UK for their OE or holidays “end up staying and living their dreams on the other side of the world.” Inspiring series Dream…
NZ Indie Film STRAY Selected for Moscow International Film Festival
“Independent New Zealand feature film, STRAY, has made history by becoming the first New Zealand feature film ever to be selected for the world’s second oldest film festival – the…
Actor Sam Neill Stars in His First Western
Sam Neill’s acting career has broken the 80-film barrier. In his most recent film, Sweet Country, the New Zealander plays a missionary making a new life for himself on the Australian frontier in the…
Helen Clark Film Reveals a Shadowy World at the UN
Filmmaker Gaylene Preston’s documentary My Year With Helen playing in Australia this month provides a happy and timely reminder that before there was Jacinda Ardern, there was Helen Clark. The extraordinary post-parliamentary career of former…
Chasing Great a Universally-Appealing Sports Doco
Justin Pemberton and Michelle Walshe’s documentary Chasing Great, about world-champion All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw, “proves surprisingly accessible to non-fans, and a well-articulated look at some of the mental processes behind sports success,”…
True Blood Lead Anna Paquin Stars as PR Maven
New Zealand-raised Anna Paquin is returning to television. The True Blood and Alias Grace star is set to appear in the upcoming dramedy Flack. The limited series, which is co-produced by Paquin and her…
Taika Waititi to Play Version of Imaginary Hitler
Whenever Fox Searchlight Pictures ends up releasing New Zealander Taika Waititi’s satire Jojo Rabbit, it will give viewers the chance to see a version of Adolf Hitler they most likely never have before. IndieWire…
Chasing Great – An Ode to New Zealand’s All Blacks
“Justin Pemberton and Michelle Walshe’s documentary Chasing Great follows All Blacks team captain Richie McCaw through his final season,” writes Chris Packham in a review for the Village Voice. “Even if…
Thor: Ragnarok’s Hidden New Zealand and Australia References
“There are fans who are going to want to come back for more just to notice every detail that New Zealand director Taika Waititi stuck in” Thor: Ragnarok, writes Luke Y. Thompson in an…
Boy Fans Will Love The Breakers and Upperers
If you enjoy contemporary New Zealand comedies like Boy, What We Do in the Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, then you should put this Taika Waititi-executive produced title The Breaker Upperers on your radar, recommends…
Maryanne Redpath at Helm of Berlinale’s Generation
Within 10 years, former artist, teacher and filmmaker New Zealand-born Maryanne Redpath has turned the Berlinale youth section Generation into one of the most popular strands of the film festival, with a gem-packed programme…
Robyn Malcolm on Cleavage and Credibility
It is something of a surprise to see New Zealander Robyn Malcolm looking positively restrained, wearing a conservative skirt and blouse, for her role as Maxine Pavich in the new ABC television drama series…
Anna Paquin Does Some Detective Work in Bellevue
New Zealander Anna Paquin plays Detective Anna Ryder in the Canadian television series, Bellevue. “Paquin, whose onscreen presence guarantees an otherworldly, alienating grace, is doing more work than is first apparent,” Variety TV critic…
Shotover Tech Wizards Score Early Oscar for Aerials
Queenstown design engineers John Coyle, Brad Hurndell, Vikas Sathaye and Shane Buckham have scored a jump on Margot Robbie, Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep a month before the Oscars. The group has just been…
Aaron Jeffery Gets into the Head of Chopper Read
A quirk of fate could have changed the path of Australian film history and seen New Zealander Aaron Jeffery play Chopper Read nearly 20 years ago. “I auditioned for the original Chopper movie,” Jeffery, 47,…
Braindead as Outrageous as it is Brilliant
Peter Jackson’s 1992 “gore-fest” Braindead has been named one of the 30 most violent films ever made by entertainment website GamesRadar+. The list also includes Irreversible, Evil Dead and Cannibal Holocaust. Alex Avard writes for the…
KJ Apa to Star in Romantic Comedy The Last Summer
New Zealander KJ Apa is coming back to the big screen. Teen Vogue reports that the Riverdale star recently got a part in the new movie The Last Summer, a romantic comedy that centres…
Vampires Get Their Teeth into Some Small Screen
A television reboot based on Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s 2014 smash hit mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows has landed a pilot-production order at American channel FX. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the…
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie’s New Role Enigmatic
Among the most anticipated films of this year’s Sundance Film Festival has been Winter’s Bone director Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace, starring 17-year-old New Zealander Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie. Leave No Trace had its world premiere…
Peter Jackson Brings WWI to Life With New 3D Film
“A new 3D film by director Peter Jackson is set to bring the First World War to life in a way never seen before,” writes Laura Lambert in an article in
“This Giant Papier-Mâché Boulder Is Actually Really Heavy” Excels On A Shoestring
“With an affection for nerd culture that is inversely proportional to its budget, this lo-fi sci-fi comedy is destined for laugh-filled late-night viewing,” writes Kimber Myers in a review in the
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…
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…
