What New Zealand’s COVID-19 Flare Means For Its Booming Hollywood Productions

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsEXCLUSIVE: EQ Media Group has announced industry vets Kevin Joseph and  Simon Fleming will head the company’s United States and New Zealand development, respectively. “Kevin and Simon have impressive track records and we are lucky to have them in the company.  Their skills and experience will help EQ Media continue the pattern of growth we are seeing in 2020,” said EQ Media CEO and executive producer Greg Quail. In their new roles, Joseph

coronavirus measures and spoke about his decision to leave the England squad for the first time. "I didn't sleep for a week and my head wasn't really in it," Ben Stokes told the Weekend Herald.

The world’s fastest man has the coronavirus.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefProduction of films and TV series across South Korea is being halted as the country undergoes a resurgence of the coronavirus. Companies including industry leaders CJ ENM, JTBC and Netflix have all confirmed disruptions to their series shooting schedules.The country had seemingly been successful in controlling earlier waves of the COVID-19 outbreak through strict border controls, rapid testing and rigorous contact testing.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefProduction of two TV shows, Ten’s “Masked Singer” and Nine’s “Millionaire’s Hotseat” has been halted in Australia due to resurgence of the coronavirus. The two shows were both filming in different parts of the Docklands Studio in Melbourne, Victoria.“Masked Singer” shut down on Saturday after seven members of the crew were revealed to have given positive tests for COVID-19.

Russell Crowe has Sharon Stone to thank for helping him break into Hollywood after fighting to have the New Zealand-born actor cast in 1995 western The Quick And The Dead.The Sam Raimi movie served as Crowe’s American film debut, but he was almost passed over for the role of Cort – until Stone, who starred in the project and served as a producer, saved the day.“I used to say my theory of Los Angeles was you have to be careful because they will nice you to death,” Crowe quipped during an

Peter White Television EditorEXCLUSIVE: The Flash star Neil Sandilands is to co-star in Sweet Tooth, Netflix’s upcoming drama series based on the DC Vertigo comic, which comes from Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s Team Downey, Jim Mickle, Beth Schwartz and Warner Bros.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says his state found a way to bring the coronavirus under control by following scientific guidelines and coming together -- an example that he says the Trump administration has refused to follow.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorAMC Networks’ horror SVOD service Shudder is extending to Australia and New Zealand.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAMC Networks’ speciality SVOD service Shudder launched Monday in Australia and New Zealand with titles including breakout hits “Creepshow” and “Cursed Films.”Shudder offers a menu of on-demand horror, thriller, and suspense programming and originally rolled out in the U.S. It has since expanded to Canada, the U.K.

12 years of a life sentence.Jahche Broughton is making a bid for freedom after being locked up for battering Karen Aim to death with a baseball bat in January 2008 as she visited Taupo on a trip around New Zealand.After he was sentenced, Karen’s family vowed to fight to keep Broughton behind bars for his whole life.Two years ago, her dad Brian said he would campaign against any bid for freedom “for the safety of the public in New Zealand”.He added: “If he’s released, he’ll be 26 and that is just

Matt Grobar Assistant Editor, AwardslineBoasting a 15-year career as a set decorator, Matthew Flood Ferguson found his first major TV design job in Netflix miniseries Hollywood, on which he took a deep dive into the minutiae of Hollywood’s Golden Age.Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the starry drama is set in Post-World War II Tinseltown, following a group of actors and filmmakers who will do whatever it takes to realize their dreams.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChinese war action film “The Eight Hundred” will open in theaters in North America, Australia and New Zealand at the end of the month, a week after it becomes the biggest local film this year to open in Chinese cinemas..Handled by Huayi Bros., the controversial film will release in China on Aug. 28.

Coronavirus has broken out in New Zealand again after a 102-day streak of the country being Covid-19 free.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has imposed a temporary lockdown in Auckland - putting the city on alert level three.It comes after four cases of the deadly virus were confirmed in the community there.From Wednesday, people will be asked to stay at home, while restaurants and other businesses must close by midday so that health officials can "assess the situation".Ms Ardern said: "We are