Mahy magic puts Christchurch in spotlight

The red carpet will be rolled out on Monday night at the Isaac Theatre Royal as Christchurch hosts the world premiere of The Changeover.

An adaptation of the Margaret Mahy novel, The Changeover stars Harry Potter’s Timothy Spall, Melanie Lynskey, Nick Galitzine, Lucy Lawless, and newcomer Erana James.

Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie directed the movie, which was shot in Christchurch last year at several locations including a relocated home in New Brighton, on the red-zoned streets of Bexley, at the Dance-O-Mat in the city centre and in abandoned buildings in Hereford St.

Timothy Spall and Erana James star in The Changeover.

The movie tells the story of a teenager who must ‘change over’ and become a witch in order to save her little brother from an evil spirit.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel can’t wait to see how Harcourt and McKenzie have adapted Mahy’s hugely popular book and says having the film premiere in Christchurch puts the city on the international stage as a great location for film-makers.

“They were originally going to film in Wellington but thankfully they realised that they couldn’t fake Christchurch in the Hutt Valley. Director Miranda Harcourt said Christchurch has a spirit all its own and this is where the story began and therefore where it had to be filmed.

“I couldn’t agree more and it was fitting that Margaret Mahy’s story and characters were brought to life in her home town,’’ the Mayor says.

“The residential red zone was the ideal location for filming, with its wide open spaces and sunken driveways, etc, which formed the backdrop for a community going through periods of change and transition.

“Lead actor Timothy Spall was blown away by the friendliness and warmth he encountered from locals on a regular basis while filming in the city, showing people got behind the movie from the get-go,'' the Mayor says.