Wellington film production thriving, stats say

Scarlett Johansson plays The Major in Ghost in the Shell, which Wellington-based companies had a part in making. Photo/supplied

Wellington remains New Zealand's main player in big screen film production according to the latest data from Statistics NZ.

In the 2016/17 year, Wellington's gross revenue for film production was $631 million, representing 55 per cent of New Zealand's total.

Wellington-based production and post-production companies contributed to the making of Ghost in the Shell, Thor: Ragnarok, Blade Runner 2049, Justice League, and War for the Planet of the Apes, while Mortal Engines was shot in Wellington.

Auckland's share of film production revenue rose to 43 per cent over the same period.

There is room for the film industry to flourish in both cities as each location develops different specialities, Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency's business growth and innovation general manager David Jones said.

"It is good for New Zealand that both Wellington and Auckland's screen sectors are doing well. Auckland has a strength in the TV and commercial production and Wellington excels in feature films, led by the Weta Group of companies. If both destinations do well, New Zealand will grow its reputation as a place to get world-class screen productions made – whether for the big screen or small.

"But for both regions to continue to be successful the industry can't concentrate on TV and film alone – we need to focus on new types of more immersive entertainment.

"Wellington is growing expertise in virtual, augmented and mixed realities which are tipped to be at the forefront of a revolution in how we experience entertainment.

"Wellington's gaming sector is also thriving with industry leader PikPok's game Into the Dead2 hitting six million downloads across Google Play and the App Store in its first week of release last year.

"What the latest Statistics NZ data shows is that the New Zealand screen sector is in good health and the outlook for the Wellington region is positive. We look forward to Avatar 2 coming to our shores, Local feature film Daffodils is being filmed in Wellington, and the release of Wellington production Mortal Engines is scheduled for the end of the year," Jones said.