N. Zealand eyes Avatar’s Pandora

A special effects studio said it was in talks about filming two Avatar sequels in New Zealand, as a special sitting of Parliament rushed through laws to keep The Hobbit in the country. Weta Digital co-director Joe Letteri said director James Cameron...

A special effects studio said it was in talks about filming two Avatar sequels in New Zealand, as a special sitting of Parliament rushed through laws to keep The Hobbit in the country.

Weta Digital co-director Joe Letteri said director James Cameron had been in touch to discuss shooting the second and third parts of his sci-fi blockbuster in Wellington after 20th Century Fox confirmed the project on Wednesday. The special effects studio, co-founded by The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, won an Oscar for its pioneering work in bringing the planet Pandora of Avatar to the big screen.

The New Zealand government said earlier this year that the original Avatar shoot pumped A$307 million into the economy.

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