New Zealand will get the first chance to see the general release of Mr Pip, a movie starring Hugh Laurie and written by Wellington’s Lloyd Jones.
The movie, directed by New Zealander Andrew Adamson and shot on location in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, will be generally released on October 3 in New Zealand.
A spokeswoman for Paramount Pictures confirmed New Zealand would be the first to see the film on general release.
While the film was premiered last year, it was hoped New Zealand would be able to host a premiere of its general release.
In September last year Mr Pip was selected to premiere in the “special presentation’” section at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Kerry Doole, of Exclaim! magazine, called the movie ‘‘a powerful and poetic film’’ and said ‘‘the production values are of the highest order, as you’d expect with the participation of such Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings alumni as production designer Grant Major and costume designer Ngila Dickson’’.
An Iceberg Ink blog reviewer said he was truly affected by the movie.
‘‘I’d easily vote it as one of the best so far this year. Hopefully this comes out wide in release as I feel it’s a very important film . . . we need to take stock of the things we take for granted in Western society and how it affects the world.’’
Mister Pip tells the story of the last white man on the war-torn island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, who reopens a school and inspires the pupils by reading them Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.
