Rob Tapert

Rob Tapert has been working in New Zealand since he was commissioned by Universal Pictures in 1994 to film five Hercules movies here.

About to leave on the location scout, he heard about the "undiscovered production treasure" of New Zealand and came here to see if it would be suitable for the production. It was; and Tapert has gone on to produce eight films and television series here over the last two decades, including the incredibly successful Spartacus (2010-2013) and remake of Evil Dead (2013) which stormed the US box office, hitting number one on its opening weekend.

Working in New Zealand

Rob Tapert talks to us about his two decades of working in New Zealand.

Tapert has worked primarily in Auckland where there is easy access to a range of landscapes, a large and skilled crew base, and state-of-the-art post-production and visual effects facilities.

Working in Auckland

Tapert talks about the benefits of using Auckland as a base to create his productions and how the incentives have helped him work here.

Evil Dead

Tapert's most recent New Zealand production screamed to number one at the US Box Office, taking $26 million and another $4.5 million worldwide in its opening weekend.

The production was shot entirely in New Zealand with location shoots at Woodhill Forest just out of Auckland and interior filming at a studio in East Tamaki, Auckland.

The blood-fueled remake of Tapert's own 1983 production The Evil Dead which he made with his longtime collaborators Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, was directed by Fede Alvares, whom they scouted after seeing his alien-horror short Panic Attack! on Youtube.