Major Hollywood style studio planned for Christchurch, New Zealand

The $100m Temple Film Studios complex will be just 15 minutes from the local airport

By Chris Evans 15 Mar 2021

Major Hollywood style studio planned for Christchurch, New Zealand

Plans for a multi-million dollar film studio to be built on the south island of New Zealand have been submitted to Christchurch City Council.

The vast Temple Film Studios complex will be constructed on an old hospital site in Templeton, just outside Christchurch, and will include eight 2,360 square meter studios measuring between 13 and 14 meters high, a wet stage and offices and workshops. There will also be a backlot for temporary film and video sets.

Jordan Mauger, who is behind the development, says he is ready to start work on Temple Film Studio as soon as the resource consent application is approved, with construction due to take place in stages.

“We plan to grow and adapt with the increasing screen industry in the South Island and New Zealand, with studio design and build currently in development,” Temple Film Studios confirmed. “Christchurch is your perfect hub to the greater south, opening up locations and facilities for your production.”

The site is ideally located within Innovation Park’s 67 hectares of lawns and established gardens, with easy access and just 15 minutes from Christchurch airport, twenty minutes to the city centre, and 30 minutes from the port.

New Zealand TV series Hope and Wire has already used the site as a production base taking advantage of existing buildings as offices, workshops, sets and filming space.

At present, only Auckland and Wellington on the North Island have dedicated film studios, despite the South Island being used extensively for locations for filming.

As well as the Temple Film Studios, another studio estate is planned for the South Island on the outskirts of Wānaka and has already been given approval to be fast-tracked through the resource consent process.

New Zealand is proving very popular as a shooting location with Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series, James Cameron’s Avatar sequels and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, all filming there recently. The country has coped well with the Covid crisis thanks to strict restriction measures introduced early in the pandemic.

“New Zealand offers the most diverse and accessible locations in the world.  Our filmmakers love the ability to be on a mountain in one hour, or a stunning beach, lake or forest the next,” added Temple Film Studios.

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