Be Very Afraid
Be Very Afraid is a made for TV feature from South Pacific Pictures. The film tells the story of Christchurch property developer Dave Henderson’s four-year battle against the Inland Revenue Department which bankrupted him in the process. The movie is being directed by Jonathon Cullinane who has produced films such as Siones Wedding and Whale Rider.
More information:
South Pacific Pictures Production Info:
http://www.southpacificpictures.com/default,525.spp
Black Sheep – released 29th March 2007 (NZ)
This splatter horror movie from director Jonothan King is about a bunch of mutant sheep. Yes, mutant sheep. The plot revolves around the effects of a group of environmental activists unwittingly letting loose a mutant sheep from a lab onto a farm. When the mutant sheep infects the rest of the flock all hell breaks loose. It sounds crazy but if done in the tradition of Peter Jackson’s splatter films we could be in for a truly memorable picture.
Weta Workshop has done the special effects on the film. For more information about their input check out the Black Sheep section of their website:
http://www.wetaworkshop.co.nz/projects/filmography/film/black_sheep
The official trailer is up at the Apple website:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/blacksheep/trailer/
More information:
Official Website: http://www.blacksheep-themovie.com/
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0779982/
Dambusters – due for release 2008
Dambusters is a remake of the 1954 classic, ‘The Dam Busters’. Produced by Peter Jackson and directed by first timer Christian Rivers the film is hotly anticipated. The movie deals with the story of the No. 617 Squadron of the RAF and the attack on German dams during World War II.
Soon after the project was announced there was a lot of debate over the naming of Wing Commander Guy Gibson’s dog. In the original film he was called nigger but in the 21st century that might too offensive for some people. Jackson has claimed he is in a ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation’. If he changes the name he will be pulled up for political correctness but if he doesn’t then he runs the risk of offending and alienating a lot of the audience.
The movie is being written by Stephen Fry and has a budget of around $50million.
More information:
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0855775/
Note – currently you can only access the above page if you use IMDB Pro.
The Devil Dared Me To
From the guys behind the acclaimed ‘Back of the Y’ TV series comes The Devil Dared Me To, a comedy about a guy who dreams of becoming New Zealand’s greatest living stuntman.
The film is set for release some time this year and has been selected to screen at the annual SXSW film festival this year.
More information:
Official Website: http://www.thedevildaredmeto.com/
Down by the Riverside
This New Zealand film is described as a ‘film noir horror about two intertwining stories of murder and mystery across two decades’. Being a film noir the film has been shot entirely in black and white which should make for a refreshing change from the norm.
You can catch a teaser trailer on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVQLXlERJHo
More information:
Down by the Riverside on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/downendingfilms
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0965413/
Official Website: http://www.downending.com/
Eagle vs. Shark
From Taika Waititi, director of the Oscar nominated short, “Two Cars, One Night’ comes this quirky romantic comedy about two social outcasts and the bizarre ways they try to find love.
Named by Variety as one of ‘Ten Directors to Watch’ Waititi recently took the film to Sundance where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize under the ‘Dramatic World Cinema’ category.
More information:
Official Website: http://www.eaglevsshark.net/
Update 24/3 – Apple have just put up the trailer on their website so you can see it in all its HD glory!
Link: http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/eaglevsshark/trailer/
The Ferryman – due for release July 2007 (NZ)
Continuing New Zealand’s reputation for making quality, low budget horror flicks is Chris Graham’s latest feature, The Ferryman. The plot revolves around a group of young tourists who charter a boat to Fiji only to discover getting there is going to be a bit harder than they thought. When they find a raft with a dying old man on it they think they are saving his life by bringing him aboard. Soon they will find out that taking him onboard was the biggest mistake of their lives.
The synopsis on the official website alludes to some sort of body swapping ability that the evil character might have which reminds me of John Carpenters ‘The Thing’. If they can pull off anything close to the quality of that film then this could be definitely one film worth watching.
John Rhys-Davies heads the cast as ‘The Greek’ and there are a host of well known New Zealand actors starring such as Lawrence Makoare and Craig Hall.
More information:
Official Website: http://www.theferryman-movie.com
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808265/
The Last Magic Show – due for release 2007 (NZ)
From writer, director and actor Andy Conlon comes this indie romantic comedy, The Last Magic Show. The film is about an illusionist who is offered one more chance at the big time, only before he can do this he needs to find a replacement assistant for the one who broke his heart.
More information:
The Last Magic Show on MySpace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=79254710
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0954337/
The Lovely Bones
Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel is the basis for Peter Jackson’s next directorial effort. The story is about a fourteen year old girl who gets brutally murdered and then has to watch her friends and family deal with their grief from heaven. The Lovely Bones marks a return to territory that Jackson covered in early years with Heavenly Creatures and gives him a chance to make a film that doesn’t involve a budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars with a crew of thousands. The film is currently still in the scriptwriting stage (he is co-writing it with long time collaborators Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens) and Jackson has already stated that no casting decisions will be made until the script is finished.
More information:
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/
Perfect Creature – due for release 2007 (NZ)
With a big name cast that includes Saffron Burrows (Deep Blue Sea) and Dougray Scott (Enigma) this horror-thriller about a group of vampires gone bad is the third most expensive NZ film ever made. While filming finished a couple of years ago now it has been stuck in distribution hell since then. Apparently it is getting a decent Australasian release sometime this year. No news as of yet when it might appear Stateside.
More information:
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403407/
Pictures of You
Pictures of You is a feature being shot down in Hamilton and is currently in the editing phase of production. The film is about an unlikely friendship between two starkly different teenagers and the repercussions that relationship has on their family and friends.
More information:
Official Website: http://poythemovie.com
Stringer – due out March 2007 (NZ)
Stringer is an independent digital feature by Steve Morrison. The plot revolves around a photojournalist who gets into trouble while investigating an organ trafficking case. The cast includes Matthew Sunderland, Josephine Davison, Paul Glover and Danielle Cormack. The film will be showing at Academy Cinemas from March.
More information:
Official Website: http://www.stringerthefilm.com/
The Tattooist – due for release 23rd August 2007 (NZ)
The Tattooist is the first feature film of Peter Burger, about an American tattoo artist (Jason Behr) who unwittingly releases a Samoan ghost while trying to learn tatau, the tradition of Samoan tattooing.
The film is part of a co-production deal with Singapore where two feature horror-thrillers will be made – The Tattooist being the first and the Singapore based Altar second.
More information:
Official Site: http://www.thetattooistmovie.com/
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0817228/
Temeraire
It was announced late last year that Peter Jackson had optioned the rights to the popular fantasy series by Naomi Novik. The series consists of three books – His Majesty’s Dragon, Throne of Jade and The Black Powder War with another one being written at the moment. Novik has said there may be a 5th and 6th book too which both come under the option deal Jackson has.
It’s unclear at the moment as to whether one, two or three movies will be made out of the series. Also uncertain is to what Jackson’s role will be in the film. He already has a lot on his plate what with writing and directing The Lovely Bones, producing the estranged Halo project and dealing with the law suit with New Line over Fellowship of the Ring takings. In an interview with Aint It Cool News Jackson stated that he may well direct the films instead of just taking a backseat producer role.
Peter Jackson’s decision to option the book should come as a huge relief to fans of the fantasy genre. Since Lord of the Rings there hasn’t really been anything to live up to it – the most recent offering, Eragon was mauled by the critics and the only project on the horizon which has any hope of success is the adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy – the first in the series coming to cinemas at the tail end of this year. While Temeraire may not have as large a fanbase as Lord of the Rings the fact the project is in such good hands should definitely raise fantasy fans interest in the series, even if like me, they hadn’t heard of it before the announcement.
More information:
AICN Interview: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30014
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862850/
Note – information from the IMDB page can only be accessed if using IMDB Pro.
Untitled Bruce McLaren Biopic
It has been announced that a film is to be made about legendary NZ Formula 1 racer and founder of Team McLaren, Bruce McLaren. Barrie Osborne (Lord of the Rings) has been attached as producer and Dan Hennah (also Lord of the Rings) is onboard as production designer. The project has an estimated budget of $140million NZ.
Weta Digital will be doing special effects work for the film and the people behind the movie have expressed the desire to cast a big name actor in the title role, appropriate to the massive budget.
More information:
Official Website: http://www.thebrucemclarenmovie.com/
Untitled Charles Upham Biopic (Mark of the Lion)
‘Fat and Thin Productions’ have announced plans to make a film about Charles Upham, a New Zealand war hero who was twice awarded the Victoria Cross. The script is based on the book ‘Mark of the Lion’ by Kenneth Sandford and the film is to be directed by Nigel Hutchinson (producer on Goodbye Pork Pie). Other talent involved includes cinematographer Alun Bollinger (Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners, Perfect Strangers) and editor Simon Clothier.
Pre-production is already underway with Weta Workshop developing concept art, costumes and props. The budget is rumored to be around $18million NZ and filming will take place mainly around the Taranaki area.
No casting decisions have been made yet but the producers have made it clear that someone like Russell Crowe, Heath Ledger, Ralph Fiennes or Karl Urban would be ideal. Talks are currently going on with their agents.
More information:
February Press Release:
http://www.tv3.co.nz/tabid/213/Default.aspx?&articleID=21346
February Marlborough Times article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlboroughexpress/3968553a19817.html
The Vintner’s Luck
Adapted from the book by Elizabeth Knox, The Vintner’s Luck is Niki Caro’s (Whale Rider, North Country) latest project. The film is set in 19th century France and is about a winemaker who finds an angel in his vineyard.
The film is currently in pre-production and has already got Keisha Castle Hughes (Whale Rider, The Nativity Story), Gaspard Ulliel (Hannibal Rising, Paris, je t’aime, A Very Long Engagement) and Jérémie Renier (L’enfant) on the cast list.
More information:
February Stuff article:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/3956690a1860.html
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0954544/
