Auckland Film Studios (AFS) has been acquired by The Xytech Group.
AFS, one of the Asia-Pacific region’s longest-running large-scale production facilities, has been acquired by the company, “a fully integrated studio infrastructure platform providing stage capacity, technical facilities, equipment rental, and virtual production capability for multiple concurrent productions across New Zealand and international markets.”
According to a press release via the New Zealand Film Commission on behalf of The Xytech Group, the acquisition “secures AFS as a long-term production hub and materially expands Xytech’s studio footprint in Auckland, where the company now operates 10 stages across multiple sites, representing more than 500,000 square feet of combined production, workshop, and support facilities.”
The purchase reportedly positions Xytech Group as one of the largest independent physical-production platforms in the Southern Hemisphere.
AFS, located in West Auckland, has an impressive track record of international productions, stretching all the way back to “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess.”
Other notable productions include “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Amazon Prime); “A Minecraft Movie” (Warner Bros.); “Predator: Badlands” (Disney / 20th Century Studios); “The Wrecking Crew” (Amazon MGM); and “Heart of the Beast” (Paramount Studios).
Xytech Group’s acquisition comes amid renewed global interest in Aotearoa as a production location following the New Zealand Government’s November update to the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate, which reaffirmed the country’s long-term commitment to attracting major international film and television projects and supporting the facilities required to deliver them.
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“International productions are creatively drawn to New Zealand, with confidence in the capability of our crew, the quality of our screen infrastructure and the certainty we’re able to deliver over the long term. Recent updates to the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate have reinforced that proposition, strengthening our offer at a time when productions are more than ever making highly considered location decisions,” says Philippa Mossman, New Zealand Film Commission Head of International Attraction and Marketing.
“Investment by long-term industry operators, in facilities like Auckland Film Studios underpins productivity in the screen sector and supports sustainable employment for our skilled local workforce and vendors.”
The press release adds that Xytech Group “has indicated that the acquisition forms part of a broader strategy to expand capacity, increase flexibility for overlapping productions, and provide studios and streamers with a stable, scalable alternative production base in the Asia-Pacific region.”