Avatar filmmaker James Cameron will executive produce Taonga, a Maori-centric drama from actor and first-time director Shane Rangi.
Rangi, who worked with Cameron on the Avatar movies, which were shot in New Zealand, wrote the script and will direct the feature that has the backing of Fandomodo Films, a boutique development, production and financing company that seeks to raise underrepresented voices.
Drawing on his own life, Rangi, who is of Ngāti Porou descent, wrote Taonga to tell the story of an indigenous Polynesian rugby star who becomes homeless before a violent encounter with law enforcement leaves him for dead. The story aims to navigate the realities of homelessness and modern-day policing.
Many of those realities were a lifetime ago for Rangi, who managed to drag himself out of those dire straits to become an actor and stunt performer on major Hollywood productions that shot in that part of the world.
Rangi, who worked with Cameron on the Avatar movies, which were shot in New Zealand, wrote the script and will direct the feature that has the backing of Fandomodo Films, a boutique development, production and financing company that seeks to raise underrepresented voices.
Drawing on his own life, Rangi, who is of Ngāti Porou descent, wrote Taonga to tell the story of an indigenous Polynesian rugby star who becomes homeless before a violent encounter with law enforcement leaves him for dead. The story aims to navigate the realities of homelessness and modern-day policing.
Many of those realities were a lifetime ago for Rangi, who managed to drag himself out of those dire straits to become an actor and stunt performer on major Hollywood productions that shot in that part of the world.
- 9/18/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.