The Shanghai premiere of the sci-fi blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash, directed by James Cameron, was grandly held on the evening of 19 December. As one of the most highly anticipated films worldwide, the movie achieved an impressive global opening-weekend box office of approximately USD 345 million, ranking as the second-highest opening performance among films released in 2025.
The premiere was jointly sponsored by NEXT Park (New Zealand), New Zealand China Commerce & Inno Hubs, the New Zealand National Brands Programme, China Silk Road Development Capital Management Co., Ltd., Air New Zealand, Babich, Newo, ZIWI Peak, Grin, and Beouever. The diverse lineup of sponsors highlights strong multi-party collaboration at the intersection of cultural creativity and industrial cooperation between China and New Zealand.
As the latest installment in the Avatar franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash continues the epic sci-fi legacy of the series while achieving new breakthroughs in visual effects. Notably, the film’s core visual effects production was completed entirely in New Zealand by the country’s leading visual effects teams. Through cutting-edge technology and artistic innovation, they brought the fantastical ecosystems of Pandora and its breathtaking battle scenes to life with unprecedented immersion. This achievement not only demonstrates New Zealand’s world-class capabilities in film and television visual effects, but also underscores the global influence and distinctive appeal of its cultural and creative industries.
Since the 1970s, New Zealand’s cultural and creative sector has shown sustained vitality. By integrating Māori traditions, multicultural influences, and modern innovation, the country has continuously pushed boundaries in film, television, music, and visual arts, producing numerous internationally influential works and creative teams. The Avatar series has been deeply rooted in New Zealand for many years, contributing approximately NZD 1.1 billion to the national economy over the past eight years alone. This has significantly stimulated local employment and industrial growth, while steadily enhancing New Zealand’s global standing in creative technology—serving as a vivid example of cultural industry exchange between China and New Zealand.
Among the joint sponsors, two cross-border cooperation platforms—NEXT Park (New Zealand) and New Zealand China Commerce & Inno Hubs—drew particular attention. Their mission to promote industrial synergy between China and New Zealand closely aligns with the cross-border exchange theme of the premiere.
Located in a landmark green office building on Auckland’s North Shore, NEXT Park serves as the flagship node and starting point of the New Zealand China Commerce & Inno Hubs in New Zealand. Operating under an innovative “space + incubation + investment” model, NEXT Park integrates high-quality physical spaces with entrepreneurship incubation, technology commercialisation, and capital integration, building an innovation network that connects New Zealand, China, and the wider global market.
As the first comprehensive service platform dedicated to industrial investment and cross-border development between China and New Zealand, New Zealand China Commerce & Inno Hubs was jointly initiated by institutions including NEXT Park, NEXT Federation, and China Silk Road Development Capital Management Co., Ltd. Guided by the principles of “co-building and sharing, mutual empowerment, industrial supply-chain integration, and investment–trade synergy,” the platform adopts a “two countries, multiple parks, interconnected” model. It has established node parks in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Its core services cover full-lifecycle solutions, including cross-border entrepreneurship infrastructure, investment and financing support, professional service networks, market-entry assistance, and high-end resource matching. These efforts aim to reduce barriers for enterprises expanding internationally and to foster a technology-driven innovation ecosystem characterised by shared resources and complementary strengths. The joint sponsorship of the Avatar: Fire and Ash Shanghai premiere represents an innovative practice by New Zealand China Commerce & Inno Hubs in promoting cross-border cooperation within the cultural industries of both countries.
Terry Di, Deputy Secretary-General of the NEXT Federation and Secretary-General of the New Zealand National Brands Programme, attended the premiere and commented:
“The creation and global success of the Avatar series in New Zealand vividly demonstrate the strength of the country’s cultural and creative industries. As a vital carrier that integrates culture and technology, the film and television sector represents a key entry point for cross-border cooperation between China and New Zealand. NEXT Park (New Zealand), New Zealand China Commerce & Inno Hubs, and the New Zealand National Brands Programme will take this premiere as an opportunity to further promote resource alignment and the transformation of creative and technological achievements between the two countries, unlocking even greater potential for cross-border collaboration.”
Zhang Qi, Investment Lead of China Silk Road Development Capital Management Co., Ltd.—a co-development partner of NEXT Park—also attended the premiere, accompanied by representatives of potential investors. During the event, they held in-depth discussions with Ardi Barnard, Consul General of New Zealand in Shanghai. Zhang Qi noted that the successful Shanghai premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash not only enabled Chinese audiences to experience the charm of this sci-fi epic, but also strengthened mutual understanding and trust in cultural creativity and technology investment between China and New Zealand through the connective role of the joint sponsors.
Looking ahead, with the continued efforts of platforms such as NEXT Park (New Zealand), New Zealand China Commerce & Inno Hubs, and the New Zealand National Brands Programme, more China–New Zealand cross-border cooperation projects are expected to take root—injecting sustained momentum into industrial upgrading and cultural exchange between the two countries.
Caption: Ticket to the Shanghai Premiere of “Avatar: Fire and Ash“
Caption: Ardi Barnard, Consul General of New Zealand in Shanghai, meets with Zhang Qi and Terry Di
Caption: NEXT Park and New Zealand-China Commerce & Inno Hubs draw strong interest from premiere guests
Caption: Guests actively networking at the premiere venue