Avatar snaps up $44.7m Govt grant
Avatar’s success has spawned the first of what industry supporters hope will be a new group of IT start-ups.
US film-makers spent $307 million in New Zealand creating blockbuster 3-D film Avatar, but $44.7m of the bill has been picked up by Kiwi taxpayers through a government grant.
The total production cost of the film has not been disclosed, with estimates ranging as high as US$500m (NZ$702.6m).
About 60 per cent of the film is comprised of visual effects, created by Wellington’s Weta Digital.