Today Auckland, New Zealand, celebrates a significant milestone for the region’s thriving screen production industry, with the opening of two new world-class sound stages at Auckland Film Studios in Henderson.

At approximately 2,000 square metres each (22,000 square feet), the expansion means the studios now have five stages totalling more than 7,500 square metres (80,700 square feet).

The year-long construction project was made possible by $NZ30 million funding from the New Zealand Government, with the remaining $NZ7.5 million from studio owner Auckland Council. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown joined the Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage, Hon Carmel Sepuloni, in opening the two new stages.

Screen Auckland manager Matt Horrocks says the new stages were built to meet the growing demand of the past five years for studio space and quality content. They are already booked, with a production due to start work there in the new year. Recent projects have included The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime) and Sweet Tooth (Netflix).

Sound stage space in Auckland has grown to more than 32,000 square metres (almost 345,000 square feet) in the past decade – attracting large international productions.

The new stages were gifted the name “Te Pūtahi’” (to join and intersect) by the local Māori iwi, Te Kawerau a Maki – as a place where people will meet to make creative works for the world stage.