Film in New Zealand
New Zealand’s popularity as an international film making destination means movie buffs are spoiled for choice when it comes to real film locations to visit
So I thought in this blog I would give you an overview of just some of the stunning locations where international films have been filmed in New Zealand.
Mount Taranaki – The Last Samurai
Most of the filming of The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, took place near New Plymouth in Taranaki, North Island New Zealand.
A Japanese village was constructed for filming on the hillsides of the Uruti Valley, with Mount Taranaki standing in for ‘Mount Fuji‘.
The seaside city of Taranaki is famous for being able to travel from the mountain to surf in just one day, and it was exactly that which drew The Last Samurai to the region to film in its diverse locations. New Zealand plays Japan in The Last Samurai, which tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country’s first army in the art of modern warfare.
