By MIKE MATHER in Rotorua
Film companies, including one seeking a home for a talking lion, have been scoping potential locations in Rotorua.
The Daily Post understands scouts for The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian, the sequel to last year's hit The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
have recently been in the area, as have producers of at least two other movies.
Although he couldn't confirm the involvement of the Narnia producers, Volcanic Locations manager Kevin Rowell said he had recently helped several location scouts identify possible shooting sites for upcoming movies.
"Since we had the guys from Shortland Street [filming episodes] here [in May], things have really gotten busy for us.
"We have been fielding all sorts of inquiries and requests."
Film producers had been flown around the lakes and although nothing had been confirmed, it was obvious they liked what they saw, he said.
One film was set in America's modern day Midwest and finding homes near Rotorua's lakes that resembled the look and style of houses in the United States was difficult.
Other possible filming sites were easier to find.
"One [movie] called for a hospital scene.
"At Tokoroa Hospital there has been a whole ward built in the 1980s that has never been used.
"The Waikato Hospital Board have been brilliant in letting us use that as a possible location and QE Health were also really accommodating in letting us check their facilities out," Mr Rowell said.
Destination Lake Taupo general manager Scott Lee said he had also recently met film producers.
While he did not want to name any names, he hinted at least one was a big budget production.
Meanwhile, Prehistoric Park, a £6.5 million (NZ$19.3 million) British series partially filmed in Rotorua in which an adventurer travels to prehistoric times will screen on TV3 in September.
The Rotorua episode is set in China 125 million years ago - when that area bore a striking similarity to our region today.
