Avatar 2 'special permission' filming in New Zealand amid lockdown row

Production was halted as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, and prime minister Jacinda Ardern closed New Zealand’s borders in March. Having seemingly got the pandemic in the country under control, lockdown measures have been loosened, but some local businesses have employees still stuck overseas as New Zealand’s borders remain closed. As a result, the arrival of the film’s crew has upset many residents who are still affected by the lockdown. Speaking to RNZ, chair of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment, June Ranson criticised the move to grant permission as a ‘double standard’.