There was a rise in the number of New Zealand features made as international co-productions in 2014, while Wellington remained the country’s main filming hub. Nearly 80% of production revenue for the year was generated in the capital.
Upcoming travel trade show VisitScotland expo 2015 will include a three-day tour to promote Scotland’s filming locations to a small delegation from key international markets. A separate familiarisation trip will specifically promote the drama series Outlander to a German delegation.
Kenneth Branagh’s new live-action version of Disney’s Cinderella filmed at Pinewood Studios near London and also on location across southern England. The film is the latest live-action fairytale feature from Disney and follows the success of Maleficent, which also filmed in the UK.
A new Japanese version of Godzilla is to be made by Toho Studios since the success of last year’s US remake revealed a continued appetite for the classic monster. The new film will be made by renowned Japanese filmmakers Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi.
Mark Wahlberg is set to produce and possibly star in new movie Patriots’ Day, the story of the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013. Wahlberg is a Boston native and has previously worked in the city on movies including The Fighter and The Departed.
Stephen Poliakoff has started filming his new BBC period drama Close To The Enemy on location in London and Liverpool. The filmmaker previously shot his early-1930s drama Dancing on the Edge in West Midlands.
Pinewood Studios near London is set to raise nearly GBP 30 million to part-fund its major expansion plan. The company will place eight million shares and create new bank facilities to fund the first part of the three-phase Pinewood Studios Development Framework (PSDF).
A new TV series of the popular Young Adult (YA) fantasy novel franchise The Mortal Instruments will film in Toronto from this May as Shadowhunters. The Ontario capital got a production spending boost last year hosting Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak.