Reese Witherspoon announced her imminent arrival to New Zealand on social media and has kept followers updated ever since. Photo / Twitter
Reese Witherspoon announced her imminent arrival to New Zealand on social media and has kept followers updated ever since. Photo / Twitter
Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling have captured our hearts and headlines with their glowing reviews of New Zealand, posting regular updates of their time in New Zealand on social media.
But is it for real? Or just part of the deal?
Rumours have abounded that the stars' effusiveposts are all part of a deal with Tourism New Zealand, similar to the partnership between the Government agency and producers of The Hobbit trilogy.
But today the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) quashed those rumours, telling the Herald there is "no partnership or relationship of any sort".
Under the scheme, international productions can qualify for a 20 per cent cash rebate of their New Zealand expenditure, if they spend more than $15 million while filming here.
With an estimated budget of $144 million, it's fair to assume the production will qualify, despite shooting only a small portion of the film in New Zealand. However, a formal application for the grant can't be made until filming is complete.
After arriving in Queenstown just 10 days ago, the stars are expected to fly out later this week.
During that time, they have overwhelmed their followers with photos and updates from some of New Zealand's most scenic spots, including The Remarkables, Lake Hawea and Amisfield Winery.
Witherspoon's Instagram posts have gone out to more than 8.6 million people, while Oprah is just behind on 8.4 million followers.
Comedian Kaling also holds considerable sway, with 2.5 million followers.