The Luminaries
A six-part adaption for television of New Zealand author Eleanor Catton’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel.
International Production
Series
2021
Drama
60 minutes
About The Luminaries
Based on the best-selling novel The Luminaries tells an epic story of love, murder and revenge, as men and women travel across the world to make their fortunes. It is a 19th century tale of adventure and mystery, set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the boom years of the 1860’s gold rush.
The Luminaries stars Eva Green, Eve Hewson, Himesh Patel, Marton Csokas and Ewen Leslie.It was adapted for the screen by Eleanor Catton, directed by Claire McCarthy and produced by Lisa Chatfield.About The Luminaries
The BBC, TVNZ and Freemantle were committed to ensuring that the series has the intergrity and authenticity of the book - a story by a New Zealander, about New Zealand and made in New Zealand.
/ Lisa Chatfield, producer
Eva Green as Lydia Wells and Eve Hewson as Anna Wetherell
About the New Zealand Screen Production Grant
The purpose of the New Zealand Grant is twofold:
- To build the sustainability, scale and critical mass of the domestic film industry and support the development of New Zealand creatives.
- To provide cultural benefits to New Zealand by supporting the creation of New Zealand content and stories.
New Zealand productions may access a cash grant of 40% of QNZPE on up to $15 million QNZPE (New Zealand Grant). The New Zealand Grant is capped at $6 million per production unless the production qualifies for an Additional Grant.
The production of a series with the scale and ambition of The Luminaries is only possible through significant international partnerships – in this case the BBC, Fremantle and the New Zealand Screen Production Grant. Specific to this project is the underlying material being written by a New Zealander and the story being entirely set here – in the 1860’s when New Zealand was the outside edge of the known world and adventurers with gold rush fever made their way here in droves. We were lucky to have the commitment of the New Zealand Government and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, through the NZSPG, to this project which is ultimately a creative re-telling of a time central to our own culture and heritage.
/ Lisa Chatfield, producer
Eva Green as Lydia Wells
The biggest New Zealand TV series based on a local story that has ever been made.
New Zealand was first in the world to premiere the series on TVNZ 1 on May 17.
The series will be broadcast on BBC1 in June.
100% of the story takes place and was shot in New Zealand.
87% NZ cast, which provided 40 jobs for New Zealand actors.
96% NZ crew, which provided 603 jobs for New Zealanders.
Roughly 90% of the series takes place inside built sets.
4,000 research images used by the production designer and set decorator.
The 1860’s world was re-created in Auckland - including the Dunedin streets and Quay, the township of Hokitika, the ship Godspeedand a remote cottage in the Arahura Valley.
Key location filming took place in Hokitika at Lake Kaniere and Crooked River.
Just over $1 million spent on housing out of town cast and crew – often bringing home people for the series or relocating them from other parts of the country.
Eve Hewson as Anna Wetherell
About the cast and crew
Eleanor Catton
Without a doubt it was the power of Eleanor’s writing that built the partnership of internationally renowned television companies needed to enable the series to be made. Since this series was originally commissioned Eleanor has become an international screen writing talent. She wrote the screenplay for Working Title’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, starring Anya Joy-Taylor, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighyand Miranda Hart which released in February 2020 to glowing reviews. The fact her first TV series credit is as writer and executive producer on the international adaptation of her own novel is a significant achievement.
Directors
Claire McCarthy
Cast
Eva Green
Lydia Wells
Lydia Wells
Eve Hewson
Anna Wetherell
Anna Wetherell
Himesh Patel
Emery Staines
Emery Staines
Ewen Leslie
Crosbie Wells
Crosbie Wells
Márton Csókás
Francis Carver
Francis Carver
Erik Thomson
Dick Mannering
Dick Mannering
Callan Mulvey
George Shepard
George Shepard
Matt Whelan
Cowell Devlin
Cowell Devlin
Rihari Te Are
Te Rau Tauwhare
Te Rau Tauwhare
Yoson An
Sook Yongsheng
Sook Yongsheng
Joel Tobeck
Benjamin Lowenthal
Benjamin Lowenthal
Gary Young
Quee Long
Quee Long
Eve Hewson & Himesh Patel behind the scenes
The Luminaries Hokitika set
Eva Green as Lydia Wells
Eva Green and Claire McCarthy on location
Production
The calibre of the performances, design, costume and cinematography in the series has been much praised by the BBC and Fremantle. Director Claire McCarthy, from Australia, harnessed a dynamic cast and a fantastic core creative team to shoot a truly challenging schedule with high end results.
The Heads of Department and crew delivered amazing work – New Zealander Felicity Abbott returned home to production design after twenty years working in Australia and the US. The work of her and her team to re-create Dunedin and Hokitika in the mid-1860’s is exceptional and strongly based on reference images of the time from the National Library.
The cinematography of Denson Baker (The Dark Horse) – returning to New Zealand to shoot the series – and his local team is fantastic. Having recently shot an episode of Victoria he came to the series with high ambitions and delivered on them.
The detail and beauty in the costumes, hair and makeup is world class and made possible by the passion of the teams for the unique opportunity to work in this period of New Zealand history.
Supporting all of this production work has been a post-production team that continued to deliver world-class work with significant visual effects work from Auckland company Assembly, music composed by Wellingtonian David Long, sound design from James Hayday who returned home from the UK for the series, and picture grading by colourist Alana Cotton.
We had an amazing team, first of all Felicity Abbott has created those amazing sets and you really feel you are in Hokitika in the 1860s which helps a lot, you don’t need to use your imagination too much.
/ Eva Green
Lake Kaniere, West Coast of the South Island
Behind the scenes at Crooked River, West Coast of the South Island
Cinematographer Denson Baker and Director Claire McCarthy
Richard Te Are as Te Rau Tauwhare
The Luminaries premiered Sunday 17 May on TVNZ 1 at 8:30pm.
The full series is available now at TVNZ OnDemand