Netflix has been linked to the initiative and potential crew have been sounded out about their availability for work next year.
Speculation about one project, or possibly two, has surfaced in Dunedin, but no announcement is expected before next year.
The work, if confirmed, would be a further boost for the screen industry in Otago, after confirmation of assignments in or near Queenstown.
The second series of television crime thriller One Lane Bridge will again be shot around Queenstown from mid-February, and production of romantic comedy series Under the Vines — starring Rebecca Gibney — will be set in Cromwell and Clyde.
Recent projects in Dunedin, Waitaki and Central Otago have included Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog and horror film Black Christmas.
The Power of the Dog starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst and the Film Commission anticipated the film would inject more than $30 million into New Zealand’s economy.
New Zealand On Air allocated almost $5.2million to the Black Hands television series that aired recently about the Bain murders in Dunedin.
Enterprise Dunedin declined to confirm whether new projects might soon be announced.
Enterprise Dunedin film office co-ordinator Antony Deaker said active screen production inquiries were "in play", but none had yet been confirmed.
A report for the Dunedin City Council in October highlighted that the low profile of Otago’s screen ecosystem had inhibited the region’s ability to attract investment for locally developed screen projects.
However, the remoteness of Dunedin and Otago, access to unique locations and relative safety from Covid-19 provided opportunities to develop screen projects.
The irregular flow of new screen projects was a constraining factor in Otago, the report said.
Amazon’s Auckland-shot The Lord of the Rings television series and Netflix shows Cowboy Bebop and Sweet Tooth were among a handful of Hollywood projects granted border exemptions by the Government in July.
Monarch Model Management owner Tracie Patel, of Queenstown, said she had heard rumours of two upcoming projects in Dunedin and she hoped they were true.
Part of her business is devoted to managing acting talent and she said she was excited about opportunities for the film industry in the South Island.
Animation Research director Ian Taylor said he had not heard rumours about possible Dunedin productions, but film and production crews in New Zealand were busy.
In a world disrupted by Covid-19, the ability to shoot footage with relative freedom was an advantage for New Zealand, he said.
Dunedin-based Animation Research is a world leader in the specialist field of computer graphics technology for sports coverage.
Crews would travel to various events, but border restrictions and quarantine associated with Covid-19 forced a rethink and the business developed remote studios.
For film, there was a parallel in that directors could watch a screen in such places as the United States and direct work taking place in New Zealand.
Mr Taylor said New Zealand’s isolation was no longer the disadvantage it once was.
Netflix has yet to respond to a request for comment.
