Wellington CBD has been transformed into 1920s Harlem, New York for one of the biggest Hollywood productions to shoot in New Zealand this year.
Passerby’s have caught a glimpse of vintage cars, 1920s newsstands, lemonade carts and fake street signs that have made Wellington’s CBD almost unrecognisable. Meanwhile, hundreds of film crew and a star-studded international cast descended on Wellington for filming.
Time Bandits, is Apple TV+ and Taika Waititi’s television series adaption of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 movie of the same name. It centres around a young boy who discovered a time-travelling portal in his bedroom. Apple TV’s version will depict ”a comedic journey through time and space with a ragtag group of thieves and their newest recruit: an 11-year-old history nerd.”
Emmy-winning Friends star Lisa Kudrow is leading the cast which also features actors Kal-El Tuck as 11-year-old Kevin, alongside Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up), Rune Temte (Captain Marvel), Tadhg Murphy (Conversations With Friends), Roger Jean Nsengiyumva (Tomb Raider), New Zealand’s Rachel House (Waititi’s Thor), to name a few.
Wellington City Council has closed parts of the CBD for filming at key areas. Other filming locations include Stone Street Studios and the Greater Wellington areas.
According to the NZ Herald, more than 500 people will be employed in the four-plus months the series shoots in Wellington. Certainly, this is the much-needed boost to employment after the pandemic.