Libertine Pictures’ Red Rocks Goes Into Production On Location In Wellington, New Zealand

Libertine Pictures has commenced production on Red Rocks, a new live-action family adventure drama series for BYUtv (USA) and Sky (NZ), with global leader in kids’ and family entertainment WildBrain securing rest-of-world distribution rights.

Adapted from Kiwi author Rachael King’s award-winning novel of the same name, Red Rocks follows 12-year-old Jake as he is drawn into a world of mythical creatures and adventure when he finds a sealskin hidden on the rocky shores of his father’s seaside home in Wellington, New Zealand. When unexpected dangers are unleashed, Jake is called upon to protect his family.

A family co-viewing series for kids 8-12, Red Rocks takes the Celtic myth of the selkies, or seal people, and transplants it into the landscape of Wellington’s wild south coast, throwing an ordinary boy into a life-changing adventure. The production team has engaged Oscar® and BAFTA-winning visual effects and props company Wētā Workshop to create animatronic seals for the series.

The 8 x half-hour series is being filmed on location in the Wellington region and features NZ Television Award-winner Dominic Ona-Ariki (One Lane Bridge, The Commons, Savage), stage and screen veteran Jim Moriarty MNZM (Lee Tamahori’s Mahana, The Strength of Water, Vegas) and Phoenix Connolly (The Royal Treatment, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Evil Dead), with Zeta Sutherland (Power Rangers: Dino Fury, Shortland Street) as ‘Jessie’ and newcomer Korban Knock starring as ‘Jake’.

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Executive Producer Richard Fletcher (Mystic, Under the Vines, Daffodils) commented: “We are thrilled to bring Rachael’s novel to the screen and to have the opportunity to highlight Wellington’s wild and beautiful south coast. Red Rocks tackles themes of environmental concern, discovery of inner strength, understanding of family, and a sense of turangawaewae (belonging) in a relatable and entertaining way. Martha Hardy-Ward’s fantastic action-packed scripts are full of adventure, mystery, jeopardy, humour and mystical creatures. Balancing relatable inner drama with exhilarating action and discovery, Red Rocks will resonate with parents and children alike.”

Andra Johnson Duke, Head of Content at BYUtv, said: “This beautiful new series is an exploration of mythical storytelling and interpersonal relationships that we’re confident will connect families with cultures and with each other. The original concept and unique setting will really set the show apart, and we’re grateful to be associated with Libertine Pictures and Sky New Zealand on such a creative and fulfilling project.”

Thomas Robins, Head of Sky Originals NZ said: “We have the A-team taking charge of this magnificent story. I can’t wait to see what magic Libertine conjures up and pops on our screens for families all around the world to enjoy. While Red Rocks is a New Zealand story, produced by excellent local talent, it is also a dream international collaboration between us (Sky New Zealand) the wonderful BYUtv, and the uber cool WildBrain. It’s been a joy to work on so far - there is a very exciting show heading our way!”

Katie Wilson, Vice President of Channels and Global Acquisitions at WildBrain, said: “There’s always international demand for relatable coming-of-age dramas that deliver something new. Red Rocks is compellingly fresh with its suspenseful storylines, faceted characters and interweaving of ancient folklore and selkies into real life dramas—all set against the stunning dramatic backdrop of New Zealand. It’s a captivating ride, sure to hook global audiences as we follow our protagonists on their exciting adventures.”

Jake Evill, Wētā Workshop Project Supervisor said: “It's fantastic to be a part of this home-grown production that supports local talent. Practical effects are our specialty, and we love working on projects like this where there was a true collaborative spirit and we felt really connected to the job.”

Red Rocks is helmed by Director/Producer David Stubbs (Mystic, Daffodils, Reservoir Hill) with Executive Producer Richard Fletcher. The series was developed for television by Martha Hardy-Ward (Reservoir Hill, Girl vs Boy, Mystic) who leads the writing team of Steph Matuku and Gavin McGibbon. The series is a Libertine Pictures production, co-commissioned by the US network BYUtv and Sky (New Zealand), with investment from NZ On Air and is distributed by WildBrain with the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate cash-flowed by Hinterland.

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