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There’s no sign of a release date for Pearl
There’s no sign of a release date for Pearl

Pop CultureJanuary 31, 2023

The NZ-shot, taxpayer-backed horror film you can’t watch

There’s no sign of a release date for Pearl
There’s no sign of a release date for Pearl

Filmed in rural New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pearl was one of the biggest critical darlings of 2022. But, as Stewart Sowman-Lund reports, there are still no plans to release it here. 

It cost New Zealand taxpayers more than $1.5m. It was filmed entirely on our shores. It raked in stellar reviews and generated its fair share of awards buzz too. But, despite being released in major markets around the world several months ago there are still no plans to let New Zealand audiences watch Pearl.

Written and directed by Ti West, Pearl is the unplanned, unannounced prequel to X – another slasher film shot and produced in New Zealand. Both starred up-and-coming scream queen, Mia Goth, and both were hits with the public and critics upon release. X topped Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best horror films in 2022, while Pearl was considered an instant classic, briefly generating some long-shot Oscar buzz for Goth’s performance.

The films were shot back-to-back in New Zealand, utilising our Covid-free status as an excuse to shift production from the United States and a chance to offer work to our local industry hungry for opportunities. Much of the crew working on the numerous Avatar sequels was pulled in to help out during a break in their production. According to the New Zealand Film Commission, 215 New Zealand crew members worked on Pearl. We also supplied nine of the main cast and 124 extras.

The script was also written largely in New Zealand and may not even exist were it not for the original film being shot here. “Ti West wrote half of Pearl on arrival in New Zealand when we were in quarantine. New Zealand gave us a unique opportunity where we really found a way to make it all work,” producer Jacob Jaffke said in comments shared on the commission’s website. “We had the opportunity to make a movie for less money than the first movie and we could do it five weeks after we wrapped X, so that’s what we did, and we carried the crew through.”

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It cost us money, too. Under the New Zealand Screen Production Grant, film productions at least partially produced on our shores are able to claim back funds as an incentive. Though controversial, and seen by some as a slush fund, the fund is the primary reason big budget productions like Avatar were made in New Zealand and also ensures that production companies like Wētā continue to have a steady stream of films wanting requesting their visual effects work.

Pearl may have been a comparatively cheap film, heading into production with a reported pre-marketing budget of about $1m, but it still benefited from the scheme. A spokesperson for the New Zealand Film Commission told The Spinoff that “the total qualifying NZ production expenditure for Pearl was $8,001,529 and the total rebate/grant was $1,600,306.”

So when will New Zealanders be able to see the film that it helped fund, staff and provide a landscape for? It’s been suggested that since X was given an all-too-brief limited release early last year, local distributors may have been put off even bothering to release the prequel. Regardless, the Film Commission’s website still prominently displays Pearl on its “made in New Zealand” page, which includes the detail that the film will be made available “soon”. That now seems unlikely, considering Pearl was given a plum September release date in most parts of the world. The commission didn’t have much more to add when approached by The Spinoff. “I’ve checked on this with all parties and there isn’t a New Zealand date for theatrical release for Pearl as yet,” a spokesperson said. Requests for comment to Neon, a possible streaming home for Pearl, were not responded to. 

A sequel to Pearl – the third film in the series – is expected to be filmed later this year. Whether or not it will be shot in New Zealand, however, is unclear.

The Real Pod just got realer (Photo: TVNZ)
The Real Pod just got realer (Photo: TVNZ)

Pop CultureJanuary 30, 2023

What is Jane Yee from Treasure Island’s podcast? Introducing The Real Pod

The Real Pod just got realer (Photo: TVNZ)
The Real Pod just got realer (Photo: TVNZ)

The breakout star of Treasure Island: Fans v Faves is The Spinoff’s own head of podcasting, Jane Yee. Here’s everything you need to know about her show, The Real Pod.

What is The Real Pod?

A weekly podcast which recaps the biggest reality TV shows screening in New Zealand, The Real Pod is hosted by Jane Yee along with her colleagues Alex Casey and Duncan Greive. The trio watch every minute of the blockbuster reality TV franchises and dissect the drama as ardent fans, cracking jokes the whole way through. 

Each episode features recaps of the current reality TV slate, with shows like Married at First Sight Australia, The Block and Treasure Island pulled apart and analysed from every angle. They also run through the weirdest news stories to emerge from New Zealand, going deep on sagas like Dug, the giant potato that turned out to be a gourd, and the unruly tourists trail of chaos.



 

What’s the backstory? 

Originally founded to recap The Bachelor way back in 2015, The Real Pod has become New Zealand’s longest-running pop culture podcast. The hosts have deep connections to television – Casey worked for Warner Brothers on multiple reality shows, Greive won reviewer of the year for his analysis while Yee was recruited to actually appear on this season of Treasure Island: Fans v Faves. The podcast was Yee’s idea from the start – she’s a huge fan of reality TV, and the recap culture which has grown around it. She’s since gone on to be the first Director of Podcasts at The Spinoff.

The Real Pod has run for eight years, with hundreds of episodes and each season attracts listeners from the cast, who often come up to the studio to dish from behind-the-scenes and recount the emotional arc of their journeys. Chris Parker joined The Real Pod for his first interview after winning Celebrity Treasure Island, while Jordan Mauger’s appearance made global headlines, after he revealed that he decided the winner of his season of The Bachelor with a coin flip.



Who are the Cornies?

The show has devoted fans who watch along with the hosts, who hang in a Facebook group and a Discord called Real Pod Corner. They’ve come to be known as cornies, and are as much a part of the show’s appeal as the hosts. Multiple former reality TV contestants are in the corner, and it’s become a place which dissects the shows in realtime, while picking up details and interacting with the hosts. The Real Pod hosts occasional live events, but cornies also host multiple meetups around the country.  

Where can I find it?

The Real Pod is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.