New Zealand Readies for ‘Authentic, Unique and Indigenous’ Monster Movie ‘Taniwha!’: ‘Like Wakanda, This is a World That Hasn’t Been Seen Before’

variety.com:

Marta Balaga Beware! New Zealand is ready to hear the roar of its first “authentic” monster movie, “Taniwha.” “If you ask any New Zealander what our own unique Indigenous monster is, they will immediately reply: Taniwha!” explains director Libby Hakaraia. “In our Māori culture, they are very real: Every tribe has their own.

They inhabit waterways, mountains, rivers, oceans and forests, and take many shapes. They are to be feared and respected as guardians, and they are avengers of wrongs.” Now, they will also star in the film produced by Tainui Stephens and Desray Armstrong (Māoriland Productions), recently presented to the industry insiders at Canada’s Frontières.

The “monster thriller,” already in the advanced development stage, will boast the participation of Wētā Workshop. “In the world of this film, Aotearoa [Māori name for New Zealand] had the world’s largest birds.

The moa, a flightless bird over 2.6 meters tall and the pouakai, an eagle with a wingspan of 3-4 meters. We are talking to Wētā about how we can create these as animatronics, as well as the taniwha itself,” says Hakaraia. “Our monster is inspired by the tuatara, the only survivors of an ancient group of reptiles from 200 million years ago.