Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 16, 2007 21:38:18 GMT 12
There is to be a film made about the late Charles Upham VC and Bar. It is one of seven films to be made by a company based in Taranaki.
I think the Upham film is a great idea but i hope this company isn't going to bite off too much at once...
This comes from the TVNZ website here
tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/992621
Taranaki to become film capital
Feb 16, 2007
A small new production company with big ambitions wants to turn regional Taranaki into New Zealand's next film-making mecca.
Fat and Thin Productions has unveiled plans to make seven films over the next seven years and company spokesman Matt Walsh says they are committed to filming a large portion of the first three movies in Taranaki.
Mayor Peter Tennent is understandably delighted and fondly remembers the Last Samarai experience. Four years ago the Tom Cruise epic generated $50 million for the Taranaki region.
Walsh admits the plans are very ambitious. He says that while film making is a notoriously tricky business, the New Zealand industry has matured to the point where the risk has been greatly reduced.
The first film will be an $18 million biopic about Charles Upham, NZ's greatest ever war hero and double Victory Cross winner.
Shooting is set to begin in late 2007. It will require a crew of 90 and Weta Workshops will also be used.
There has been speculation that Russell Crowe will play the part of Upham - something that Walsh refuses to confirm.
The second film will be a Kiwi "heist" movie with a much larger budget of around $100 million.
It is a huge challenge for Taranaki and a lot hinges on the box office results of the Upham movie.
Tennent remains very optimistic about the ability of the region to come up trumps.
"We don't do things that don't work here," he said.
The local council has backed up their mayor's beliefs by agreeing to invest substantially in the production company.
I think the Upham film is a great idea but i hope this company isn't going to bite off too much at once...
This comes from the TVNZ website here
tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/992621
Taranaki to become film capital
Feb 16, 2007
A small new production company with big ambitions wants to turn regional Taranaki into New Zealand's next film-making mecca.
Fat and Thin Productions has unveiled plans to make seven films over the next seven years and company spokesman Matt Walsh says they are committed to filming a large portion of the first three movies in Taranaki.
Mayor Peter Tennent is understandably delighted and fondly remembers the Last Samarai experience. Four years ago the Tom Cruise epic generated $50 million for the Taranaki region.
Walsh admits the plans are very ambitious. He says that while film making is a notoriously tricky business, the New Zealand industry has matured to the point where the risk has been greatly reduced.
The first film will be an $18 million biopic about Charles Upham, NZ's greatest ever war hero and double Victory Cross winner.
Shooting is set to begin in late 2007. It will require a crew of 90 and Weta Workshops will also be used.
There has been speculation that Russell Crowe will play the part of Upham - something that Walsh refuses to confirm.
The second film will be a Kiwi "heist" movie with a much larger budget of around $100 million.
It is a huge challenge for Taranaki and a lot hinges on the box office results of the Upham movie.
Tennent remains very optimistic about the ability of the region to come up trumps.
"We don't do things that don't work here," he said.
The local council has backed up their mayor's beliefs by agreeing to invest substantially in the production company.
