I don’t know how excited you are about seeing what period Maori martial arts action looks like on the big screen, but I’m frickin stoked! The first official teaser arrived this week for director Toa Fraser‘s new film, The Dead Lands, which has earned a pretty good headstart in building up a fair amount of hype since production process began late last year.
Hongi, a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains led by Wirepa, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden “Dead Lands” and forge an uneasy alliance with a mysterious warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.
James Rolleston stars with Xavier Horan, Raukura Turei, Rena Owen, Lawrence Makoare and Te Kohe Tuhaka. The film will be representing New Zealand and the UK for its special presentation at the the Toronto International Film Festival, which will run for ten days starting on September 4.
UPDATE (7/25/14): The New Zealand Film Commission has since removed the teaser from the film’s YouTube channel, but Twitchfilm has provided an upload of their own.