Nicola Willis confirms screen rebate scheme safe

Thursday, 3 April 2025

Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed the government won’t tamper with the screen sector rebate scheme as she celebrated the release of the latest locally made blockbuster, A Minecraft Movie.

The film, which stars Hollywood heavyweights Jack Black and Jason Momoa, held its New Zealand premiere in Auckland on Wednesday night, attended by local cast and crew including actress Rachel House.

It was made with support from the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate, which incentivises productions, such as the Avatar series and Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, to shoot in New Zealand by offering a cash rebate on a percentage of production costs incurred while in the country. Between 2014 and 2022, $1.15bn was spent on the rebate.

In 2023, it was identified by Willis as one of 21 “fiscal cliffs” left by the previous government, suggesting it could be at risk of being cut.

At the time, Treasury indicated it would cost $7.2 billion to extend funding for these 21 projects. At the last Budget, an additional $67.4m of funding was announced for the rebate scheme for a two-year period.

Walking the grass-green carpet before the Minecraft film screening, Willis confirmed to The Post that the government was committed to the rebate. Asked whether that meant no changes would be made to it, Willis said “that’s right“.

The minister said it was “wonderful” to be celebrating a film made in New Zealand and that had created jobs for the creative and film industry.

“[It] has created spillover benefits for businesses who have supported this production,” she said.

In a briefing to Willis when she took on the new economic growth portfolio, the Film Commission described the rebate as “critical” to the continued growth of the sector.

”The [rebate] must remain stable and predictable to deliver business growth, both for internationally focused New Zealand productions as well as international inbound prouctions.“

According to the Film Commission, production of A Minecraft Movie brought $172m into New Zealand and created at least 488 jobs across Auckland, Queenstown and Huntly.

“It’s really putting New Zealand on the map [and] bedded into that Minecraft phenomenon which we know is huge internationally,” Willis said.

“I know it’s a global phenomenon, it’s clearly very addictive … the fact we now have New Zealand as part of the world is going to expose a lot of people who are very passionate to the concept of New Zealand.”

Minecraft, on which the film is based, was first released in 2011 and has gone on to become the best-selling video game of all time. That effectively ensures the film’s success, despite opening to mixed reviews.

Wednesday night’s premiere saw Event Cinemas Newmarket filled with pixelated weapons, vegetables and animals in the iconic style of both the game and the film.

Willis, who admitted she doesn’t often get to walk a red carpet, said she was lapping up the “glitz and the glam”. But, she doesn’t think of herself as the “Minister for Minecraft”.

“I consider myself the ‘mother for Minecraft’, I certainly have kids who are into Minecraft,” she said. “My ability to do it is pretty limited, I’d have to do a tutorial in creative mode.”

A Minecraft Movie is in cinemas now, though, if you have kids, you probably already knew that.