Wētā FX to expand Melbourne presence

Monday, 14 April 2025

Better Man, the 2024 film about Robbie Williams, saw artists from Wētā FX transform the star into an ape.

Digital visual effects and computer animation company Wētā FX is expanding its Melbourne outpost by 80 roles over the next three years.

Matt Aitken, head of VFX at the Wellington-headquartered organisation, said the expansion of its Australian site would complement its New Zealand operations.

It would ensure Wētā FX could maintain its competitive edge in the global VFX landscape.

“This growth aligns with industry practices of maintaining multiple international locations, and Wellington remains our headquarters with 70% of our workforce based in New Zealand,” Aitken said in a statement.

The increase to Wētā FX’s Melbourne crew was also to accommodate the evolving demands of upcoming projects, he said.

Currently about 100 staff work for Wētā FX in Melbourne.

Avatar: The Way of Water is another film by Wētā FX’s artists.

“This strategic expansion is designed to bolster our teams by strengthening our local talent pool and ensuring full support for our creative efforts. Our Melbourne hub, launched in 2022, has swiftly become a creative powerhouse.”

Wētā FX has had another hub in Vancouver, Canada, since 2022.

Across its hubs, the company was dedicated to creating environments in which groundbreaking visual effects work could flourish. “We’re excited to continue harnessing this momentum,” Aitken said.

Formerly known as Weta Digital, Wētā FX was founded in 1993 by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk to produce the digital effects for the Jackson-directed film Heavenly Creatures.

Since then it’s worked on high-profile films including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, and more recently, the Avatar series, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Better Man and Alien: Romulus.

Noa , left, (played by Owen Teague) and Dar (Sara Wiseman) in 20th Century Studios' Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which Wētā FX also worked on.

Its artists create whole digital worlds, detailed animated characters and the myriad effects that accompany both. For its work the company has earned seven visual effects Academy Awards, 14 Academy Sci-Tech Awards, and seven visual effects BAFTA Awards.

Wētā FX is one of Wellington’s largest digital creative employers and one of the local sector’s most well-connected feeder companies for talent. Many who start work with Wētā FX in New Zealand go on to establish their own companies and local ventures.

Last year the company hit headlines when it was revealed to have posted a loss for the second year in a row, $83 million in the year to March 2024 following a $107m loss posted the year before. The company was not expected to return to profitability for at least two years, according to account notes.

That was after it made job offers to 265 engineers who were laid off in a restructure of Unity Software in 2023. Jackson had sold off the technology division of Weta Digital, which included the engineers, for $2.3 billion to the American video game software development company in 2021. Of those workers, 97% were now back with Wētā FX.

Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy opens up about R-ratings, '80s inspiration and the wonderful work of Wellington's Wētā FX.

David Wright, Wētā FX’s then-chief executive, previously said that the company had generated more than $400m in export earnings for each of the last two years, and had a strong balance sheet. Its losses were largely due to depreciation and amortisation adjustments, he said, adding he was confident its future projects would continue to support the economic and cultural wellbeing of Wellington.

In January Daniel Seah, a VFX executive, took over from Wright as chief executive. Seah relocated to Wellington for the role in February. Seah was born in Malaysia, grew up in Taiwan and studied law and worked in Beijing and Hong Kong. He’s also worked in London.

Wētā FX employs more than 2000 staff across its three bases.