Why New Zealand Is Basically A Real-Life Fantasy Movie
New Zealand is the epitome of a picturesque country. It’s as though all the beautiful elements of this planet were combined into one place, making it a product of Mother Earth’s beauty. Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and sprinkled with culture and all around magical vibes.
You can see some of the best bits in the scenery on Syfy Middle East’s new fantasy series, The Shannara Chronicles exclusively on OSN, every Tuesday.
It’s such a beautiful country, it’s no wonder it was the home of the fictional Four Lands.
Here are some of the things that make it such a real-life fantasy spot.
A lot of your favourite movies were shot in NZ
From The Shannara Chronicles to Bollywood’s Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein to The Lord of The Rings trilogy; New Zealand has welcomed filmmakers to its picturesque backdrops as a movie set- and for a good reason.
Here’s some of the movies you may be familiar with:
When Leslie and Jesse set off on the Bridge to Terabithia
It comes to no surprise that their make-believe Terabithia was actually shot in New Zealand. In no other than the Woodhill Forest and Waitakere Ranges.
Look familiar yet?
The rolling greens make for ideal countryside settings…like The Hobbit
The best scene in Narnia’s sequel took place there too
Yep. The fight scene in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (along with most other scenes in this movie).
They’ve got the best freakin’ landscape, nature and forests
The stunning landscape has plains perfect for epic battles, but also huge mountains for characters to climb on quests for magical knick knacks.
The Waitomo Caves is like a fairy dream come true
Home to glow worms, these caves look like they’re right out of a fairytale.
A lot of fantasy TV series were also filmed in the beautiful country
1. Xena The Warrior Princess: One would assume this would’ve been filmed in Greece (because the story’s set in ancient Greece). However, Xena was shot in NZ, with some scenes taken in the Waitakere Ranges like most movies.
2. Young Hercules: the dreamy Ryan Gosling starred in this spin-off series was also filmed there.
3. Legend of the Seeker: The entire thing was shot in New Zealand, some in Queenstown others in Auckland.
Just a few of many. Google it; you’ll be surprised.
The locations give such an effective backdrop, it does almost half the job for filmmakers. Just watch this.
The sunsets are perfect for looking out wistfully
Cue internal montage, the sunsets are clear, with rich colours – ideal for when the main character is doing some soul searching.
