With the official title and teaser trailer for Avatar 2 now unveiled, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on 20th Century Studios to acknowledge the contribution of New Zealand taxpayers with free tickets.

A 25 percent rebate for local spending has seen the Avatar sequels net an estimated $125 million in funding from New Zealand taxpayers.

Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Subsidies for the film industry deliver dubious value for taxpayers, but massive benefits for the big Hollywood film companies.”

“Some Kiwis may feel sour about revisiting the adventures of Jake Sully and the Na’vi knowing that the film sucked up funding that could have bolstered our health system or been returned to taxpayers. At the Taxpayers’ Union, we feel that free tickets to Avatar 2 could ease lingering resentment over the franchise’s subsidies.”

“Kiwi fans of the Avatar franchise have already effectively paid for their tickets through taxes. We don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask 20th Century Studios to pay a small dividend on New Zealand’s investment. Making tickets free even just on opening day would be a significant gesture of goodwill, and would be a drop in the bucket of the film’s global ticket take.”

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