Canadian and NZ Indigenous broadcasters line up kids’ copro

L-R: Camille Beaudoin, Maria Barlow and Janine Morrell-Gunn

Māori broadcaster Whakaata Māori in New Zealand and Canada’s APTN are working together on a live-action sci-fi adventure-comedy series for children and families.

The coproduction partnership for Māui & Elvis was announced today at the World Indigenous Broadcasters Network Conference in Sápmi, Norway.

Casting is underway in Aotearoa New Zealand and Canada, with production scheduled to begin in November ahead of its planned premiere in 2027, with distribution set to be handled by Canada’s Blue Ant International.

Set primarily in the South Island of New Zealand as well as Vancouver, Māui & Elvis follows two best friends – Māori Māui from New Zealand and Métis Elvis from Canada – who must save Māui’s beloved Nan after an evil alien bent on destroying the world takes up residence in her body.

The show brings Māori and Métis/Cree storytellers together and demonstrates “the opportunities that emerge when Indigenous broadcasters work across borders to create ambitious, culturally authentic content for global audiences,” the partners said.

It is being made by Kiwi production company Whitebait Media and Canadian prodco Mosaic Entertainment. Lead producers Janine Morrell-Gunn and Camille Beaudoin first connected through the WIFT NZ/Canada Co-Production Summit in 2024.

The production is supported in New Zealand by NZ On Air, the New Zealand Film Commission, Screen Canterbury and Whakaata Māori. The Canadian partners and supporters include APTN, the Indigenous Screen Office, Creative BC, Telefilm Canada, Canadian Heritage, the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Media Producers Association and Blue Ant International as distributor.

The partnership between Whakaata Māori and APTN, both members of the World Indigenous Broadcasters Network (WIBN), is central to the project.

Established in 2008, the WIBN brings together Indigenous broadcasters and media organisations from around the world to strengthen collaboration, share knowledge and advance Indigenous voices, languages and storytelling.

Métis/Cree series coproducer Beaudoin said the series draws on the shared values and humour of its Indigenous characters and communities.

“At its heart, Māui & Elvis is a story that celebrates the power of friendship, culture and found family through our shared values and sense of humour. Our two young leads demonstrate the courage, resilience and ingenuity of their Indigenous ancestors as they protect their loved ones from an extra-terrestrial threat,” said Beaudoin.

At least 30% of the dialogue in Māui & Elvis will be in te reo Māori (the Māori language). Maria Barlow, Kaiurungi Pāpāho, director of content and audience engagement at Whakaata Māori, said: “For Māori families, seeing and hearing te reo Māori in the stories they love matters.

“We want our tamariki [children] to see themselves, hear their language and see their culture reflected in bold, imaginative and world-class storytelling. Māui & Elvis is exactly the kind of distinctive, reo-rich content we want to bring to our audiences, while creating opportunities for Māori stories and talent to reach audiences internationally.”

Monika Ille, CEO of APTN, said the project demonstrates the power of Indigenous broadcasters moving beyond content exchange to true international collaboration.

Ille said: “Māui & Elvis represents exactly the kind of collaboration we envisioned when Indigenous broadcasters came together through the WIBN.

“This project demonstrates that Indigenous stories are not confined by borders. By partnering with Whakaata Māori, we’re connecting cultures, languages and creative talent across oceans to build something larger than any one broadcaster could achieve alone. It’s a powerful example of Indigenous-led storytelling that is rooted in community, driven by authenticity and created with global audiences in mind.”

To read more about the project, read C21’s Big Picture article here.