Auckland Council have announced that MTV studios are going to be recording best-selling book series, Shannara, throughout New Zealand with the assistance of Sonar Entertainment.
There will be 10 episodes recorded this February based on the first sequel, The Elfstones of Shannara.
The book is part of the Shannara series, and follows the Shannara family in a setting thousands of years after the destruction of civilization.
Shannara has been a nice little earner for author Terry Brooks since 1977 amongst his other 2 lines of fiction, Landover and The Word and The Void.
Brooks, 71, took his inspiration as a college student from The Lord of the Rings, which was also filmed in New Zealand but as a trilogy of movies.
“Well, the mandate is for a “Game of Thrones for the Whole Family” approach. But there are some harsh moments with violence and menace, even in the books,” Brooks says.
“We seem to be staying clear of nudity so far. But you know Hollywood – they love to take their clothes off down there. So all I can promise is that I will try to help those poor folks remember how this all started out and to not drift to the dark side. Mostly, I think we will follow the PG-13 model.”
Auckland Council’s Economic Development Committee Chair Councillor Arthur Anae says it will reinforce New Zealand’s position as a go-to destination for quality film and television production.
“The agreement underlines the value Auckland Film Studios brings to a modern, vibrant Auckland as it encourages creative industries and highlights the city’s capability to deliver high quality, Auckland-made productions to the world,” Anae says.
