SWEETSHOP Entertainment Wraps Production on Feature Film 'Mārama'

SWEETSHOP Entertainment completed filming in October 2025 for feature film 'MĀRAMA', written and directed by British/Māori director Taratoa Stappard.

MĀRAMA' is a Māori Gothic horror set in Victorian England, 1859. When a young Māori woman is summoned from New Zealand to North Yorkshire, she uncovers her horrific colonial heritage and is compelled to destroy the titled Englishman who devastated her family. This Māori Gothic narrative brings a fresh and haunting perspective to the genre, blending historical tension with indigenous resilience.

We were thrilled to work with British actors Toby Stephens and Umi Myers, who starred alongside our Māori lead Āriana Osbourne who quickly became our Mārama whānau (family).

It was fantastic to lean on the Sweetshop’s long history of creating international locations in NZ as we went about building our Yorkshire castle interiors in a studio in Auckland, together with some clever collaborating with local post-production houses to create the exterior matte paintings of Yorkshire which were shot in Dunedin. 

With post-production slated for completion in April 2025, the team at Sweetshop Entertainment is buzzing with excitement to share MĀRAMA with audiences. This film stands as a powerful and unique voice in horror, slated for release later in 2025. Stay tuned—you won't want to miss this haunting, heartfelt journey.

Ngā mihi nui,

Sweetshop Entertainment x