Warner Bros. won consent to buy Auckland land. Photo / supplied
Warner Bros. won consent to buy Auckland land. Photo / supplied
Lights, cameras, action - land is being bought for a new television series to be filmed in Auckland.
Giant American film and television studio Warner Bros. has won official state consent to buy a housing site here for a new TV series.
The Overseas Investment Office granted its application tobuy 0.8ha of freehold Auckland land, although the exact location is being kept secret in the meantime.
Whether that's for the next series of Three's The Block NZ is also unconfirmed.
"We don't comment on the show's location this early I'm afraid," said a spokesperson for Discovery today.
The state decision said Warner's application met the criteria for approval for a foreign entity to buy land - a move barred by the Labour coalition last decade after a rush of Chinese buyers to New Zealand.
"The applicant is a television production company that acquires residential land for the purpose of producing a television show," said Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand's application. The company is 99.97 owned by US interests.
The Block NZ, screened on Three. Photo / supplied
"The consent permits the applicant to acquire a freehold interest in land which is residential but not otherwise sensitive land, for the purpose of television production. The land will be divested once the television production and related activities have concluded," said the just-released consent.
Andrew Peterson of Bell Gully acted for Warner but the value of the land deal was withheld under the Overseas Investment Act.
The vendor was New Zealand company Pacific Terraces.
Companies Office records show William Hewitt of Orewa owns that business.
Property records also show Pacific Terraces owns Orewa land which is in a subdivision where new homes are being built.
One report recently said a new series of The Block NZ, entitled Redemption, promises "the biggest battle yet, when audience favourites from past seasons return for a second chance". No details are out yet of who'll be in it.
This year's series was hit by Delta and its auction finale was postponed and forced to go online, leading to quite a different vibe.
