Hollywood heavyweight Disney has settled into an isolated part of North Otago for a $300 million live-action remake of the 1990s animation Mulan, creating a big buzz for locals.
The movie is being partly filmed in the Ahuriri Valley, near Omarama, and is set to inject millions into the economy.
An entire city is emerging on the edge of one of the country's most scenic sights.
But getting a closer look at the set of Mulan is problematic, with security tight, and even residents in Omarama are being kept in the dark.
"Some people, they come in and they say, 'it's top secret and they can't really talk about it'," said a local shopkeeper.
That's still not enough to stop it being the talk of the town.
"Lots of ice creams. They've been great for business," said a woman scooping ice cream in her shop.
Another woman said: "The town is absolutely buzzing. It's so, so good for Omarama to have all these people around."
Originally an animation, this Disney film is directed Kiwi Niki Caro of Whale Rider fame and stars martial arts actor Jet Li.
It has a reported budget of $300 million and is set to be lucrative for the regional economy too. The Waitaki District Council estimates $13 million will be injected locally.
Although tucked away in the Ahuriri Valley, business owners in Omarama are smiling.
"I was talking to a guy the other day who was organising beds and they had to find 800 beds between here and Twizel and Otamatata. It's definitely positive," said a local man.
The council says the producers have paid a bond to cover removing all buildings, structures and gravel should the area of the set not be returned to the same or a better condition, when filming wraps up in a few months.
The movie is due for release in March 2020.
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