By Clare de Lore on Noted…
John Barnett has earned a stellar reputation in the movie and television world by seeing the international appeal in local stories like Whale Rider.
John Barnett enjoys a special status among film-makers – his face may not be as instantly familiar to New Zealanders as Sir Peter Jackson’s or Taika Waititi’s but, over nearly five decades, he’s become a legend in the industry – the producer who can make or break an idea and get it on to the small or big screen.
A lot of his time is, of necessity, spent reading scripts and proposals or books that might translate to screen. But, at home in Freemans Bay, his library attests to a wide range of personal interests. The house also accommodates some fine art including paintings by Frances Hodgkins and Colin McCahon.
Barnett, known to his friends as Barney, can spin a good yarn as well as being able to spot one. During his 24 years as head of South Pacific Pictures, and after he left the company, he shaped and influenced New Zealand television and film with perseverance, vision and, importantly, commercial instincts.
The question, he says, that is always foremost in his mind as he decides whether to give the big tick to a project is “who will watch this?” – he’s not in the game for kicks or vanity projects. He was the driving force behind movies such as Whale Rider and Sione’s Wedding and hit TV series including Outrageous Fortune and Shortland Street…
Read the full article on Noted here.
