Weta FX, the New Zealand visual effects house renowned for “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar,” has partnered with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) to establish Taiwan as a center for AI-driven screen production in Asia.
The partnership will be formally launched on November 6 at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in Taipei, taking place on the festival’s main stage immediately following the opening ceremony. The collaboration will focus on three key strands: joint investment, AI research and development, and talent training.
Details of the arrangement will be revealed at the launch event.
TAICCA Chair Sue Wang will be joined at the event by three Weta FX executives: CEO Daniel Seah, Chief Technology Officer Kimball Thurston, and VFX Supervisor Sheldon Stopsack.
The partnership leverages Taiwan’s AI and advanced-technology capabilities alongside its pool of creative talent, combining these with Weta FX’s VFX expertise, proven international track record, and global network. The objective is to integrate Taiwanese technologists and creatives into the broader worldwide screen industry.
For Seah, the partnership holds personal significance, as he grew up in Taiwan. Weta FX has also been cultivating connections on the island, including appearances at the Taoyuan International Film & Technology Forum in August.
This collaboration aligns with TAICCA’s broader mission of integrating new technologies into content creation. A recent example is TTXC Innovations, the concluded market platform designed to connect creators, tech developers, investors, buyers, and distributors to bring cultural content and technology to market.
Established by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture in 2019, TAICCA supports Taiwanese content from development through production, distribution, and overseas marketing across film, TV, animation, publishing, comics, music, gaming, and the performing arts. Its toolkit encompasses investment, co-production schemes, industry programs, and international partnerships.
Weta FX, based in Wellington with outposts in Vancouver and Melbourne, boasts eight Oscars for visual effects, 17 Academy Science & Technology Awards, eight BAFTAs for special visual effects, 10 VES Awards in the photoreal feature category, and five Emmys. Its latest “Avatar” franchise work, 2025’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” continues a pipeline that includes “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday,” and “Children of Blood and Bone.”
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