Details of exactly what is being filmed, how many people are involved and how long filming will take are shrouded in mystery, but it has been confirmed scenes for Alien: Covenant are at present being shot in the Te Anau-Milford Sound area.
The Ridley Scott-directed movie, due for release next year, is the sequel to his big-budget movie Prometheus, filmed in England, Iceland, Spain, and Scotland in 2011.
The official website for Alien: Covenant says the movie follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they discover what they think is an uncharted paradise, but which turns out to be a dark, dangerous world.
A fleet of vans rented from Auckland-based film industry specialists North Harbour Rentals was spotted in Te Anau on Monday.
A company spokesman, who declined to be named, said 13 trucks fitted out as camera, make-up, wardrobe and office trucks had been hired ‘‘for a few weeks''.
Most were already in Fiordland, with the rest on their way south.
They were being used for Alien: Covenant scenes, he said.
Queenstown Film executive manager KJ Jennings said he knew trucks were in the area but ‘‘it was not his story to tell'', referring calls to Sydney-based publicist Fiona Nix.
She was unable to be contacted yesterday. Venture Southland business and strategic projects group manager Stephen Canny said while he was not aware of the details, he knew Fiordland was to be a location for Alien: Covenant and had heard some filming had begun.
Scouts had been scoping locations for the past six to eight weeks, he said.
‘‘I know Fiordland is ideally suited to their needs. It is a grand-scale production ... which will use Fiordland's natural scenery overlaid with special effects.''
He was not surprised there had been no publicity about film crew's arrival.
‘‘Typically these things happen under the radar.''
Venture Southland worked with Film Otago Southland - a collaboration between six southern local authorities - to promote the South to the film and television industry and Alien: Covenant was one of several major movies either under way or in the advanced planning stages, Mr Canny said.
Movies soon to be shot in Southland were a remake of the New Zealand classic Goodbye Pork Pie and a drama called Lonely Girl, to be filmed on Stewart Island and in Bluff and Invercargill.
Mr Canny said Venture Southland had three key objectives for attracting the film and television industry to Southland - creating opportunities for local companies to be involved in support roles, promoting the area's ‘‘dramatic scenic diversity'', which would in turn encourage tourists, and wherever possible, enabling locals to gain employment as actors or production crew.
