Hunt For The Wilderpeople to return to cinemas for 10th anniversary

Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople will return to cinemas nationwide over Easter to mark the 10th anniversary of its original release.. Anniversary screenings across Aotearoa will be a communal experience to celebrate this modern Aotearoa classic with the film being shown in a 4K version,starting with a nationwide celebration on Tuesday 31 March.

A decade on from its 2016 release, Hunt for the Wilderpeople remains New Zealand’s highest grossing local film at the box office and holds a place in the country’s cultural identity.

“Ten years?! Absolutely not. That’s fake news. I refuse to believe time works like that because it would mean I’m older, and frankly I’ve decided that’s not my brand,” says director Taika Waititi. “In my mind, Julian is still ten years old, I’m still wearing the same trackpants, and we’ve only just finished arguing about snacks in the bush. But honestly, seeing Hunt for the Wilderpeople come back is pretty special — it was this weird little Kiwi story about finding your place and your people, and somehow the world adopted it like a stray dog. If anything, the re-release just proves that good stories don’t age… which is great, because clearly neither do I.”

The film features some of our most beloved actors Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rachel House, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata, Oscar Kightley, Taika Waititi, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Troy Kingi, Cohen Holloway, Stan Walker, Mike Minogue, Hamish Parkinson and Lloyd Scott.

Julian Dennison, who rose to fame as the iconic Ricky Baker said: “Woah – 10 years. 10 years of the skuxxiest people, 10 years of the nummiest treats and 10 years of running around the bush. Thank you guys for loving it as much as we do. Make sure you go and see it this Easter, and make sure you go and live that skux life because remember, we didn’t choose the skux life, the skux life chose us.”

“That rarity from Aotearoa - a comedy. It seems impossible that it was 10 years ago now. But I really look forward to seeing it on the big screen again,” adds acting royalty and all round legend Sam Neill who played gruff Uncle Hec. “It is the kind of film that really is much more fun with an audience. I loved my fellow cast , loved my genius director Taika Waititi, loved the whole experience. Save me a seat, wherever you are!”

Local cinemas are setting up in various ways to make the night one to remember. Fans can purchase tickets to screenings on March 31st from huntforthewilderpeople.com 

To also mark the anniversary, a range of commemorative collaborations have launched in recent weeks. 

NZ Post has released a series of stamps featuring images photographed by Kane Skennar for the film. These are available for purchase on the NZ Post Collectables website at collectables.nzpost.co.nz/wilderpeople. 

Impressed Recordings will release the official soundtrack on vinyl for the first time. Composed by Moniker, the Wellington trio of Luke Buda, Samuel Flynn Scott and Conrad Wedde, the score will be available in two editions, including a strictly limited Skux Edition of 300 heavyweight clear vinyl copies featuring a silver fern within the pressing. The Skux Edition is personally signed by Taika Waititi on a red, individually-numbered Swanndri print obi strip. The vinyl is available for presales now and will be available at the end of April 2026 via impressedrecordings.com, with a small allocation to selected record stores worldwide.

Garage Project are brewing a limited edition “Majestical Lager” especially to celebrate the 10thanniversary of the film. The beer will be released alongside the re-released film, and will be available at cinemas and retailers across the country, as well as from Garage Project venues, including their online store at www.garageproject.co.nz.

Square Eyes Screen Foundation, champions of cross-generational cinema, is partnering with the New Zealand Film Commission to ensure a new generation of young New Zealanders can collectively watch Hunt for the Wilderpeople on the big screen. More information available via www.square-eyes.co.nz and www.facebook.com/squareeyesscreenfoundation 

Producer, Carthew Neal says the birthday celebration is designed to bring audiences together in the way the film was intended to be seen:

“Remastering the film has reminded us just how extraordinary it is on the big screen — the heartwarming story, the hilarious cast, and immersive sounds of Aotearoa's bush and native bird life found nowhere else on earth. Cinema marks our culture, and this film resonated with the country, so now is the time to bring your whānau together, and celebrate our stories.”