Taika Waititi, as executive producer, is backing one of the Toronto International Film Festival’s hidden gems and most acclaimed discoveries: the New Zealand film The Mountain — watch the trailer
Taika Waititi serves as executive producer on a coming-of-age film directed by Rachel House, a work that received strong praise at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and is finally set for theatrical release this month
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, the acclaimed New Zealand coming-of-age film The Mountain, directed by writer-director Rachel House, will be released in U.S. cinemas starting next week. The film follows a young girl’s journey to understand and reconnect with her Māori cultural roots.
The film is being distributed by Hope Runs High and first premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It was co-written by House and Tom Furniss. The “mountain” in the title refers to an extinct volcano standing 2,518 meters tall on New Zealand’s North Island, known as Taranaki Maunga. The story unfolds in this region, where a young girl attempts to reconnect with her Māori heritage. The heartfelt family drama received positive reviews following its Toronto screening, and a trailer has also been released.
According to the official synopsis provided by the distributor: “Sam, a brave girl raised outside of Māori culture, sets out on a mission to reach her sacred mountain, hoping the journey will cure her cancer. Along the way, she meets a group of different individuals and newly arrived children in town, including Mallory, who is searching for even a single friend, and Bronco, who claims he ran away from his father because he is too busy to even notice him. As they travel along a difficult, less-traveled path, they discover the true meaning of adventure and the magic of friendship.”
Rachel House, a well-known New Zealand actress, has appeared in numerous projects including Our Flag Means Death, The Horrors of High School, The Foundation, Time Machines, Moana 2, and A Minecraft Movie. She has also worked as an acting coach alongside Jane Campion on Top of the Lake and The Power of the Dog, and has collaborated on Taika Waititi projects such as Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Jojo Rabbit, and The Last Glow.
In her director’s statement, House said: “When I started this project, I knew I wanted audiences around the world to connect with a sense of wisdom and magic found in nature, and to fall in love with children on an adventure who discover that friendship can carry them through anything.”
The cast includes Elizabeth Atkinson, Ruben Francis, Terence Daniel, Fern Sutherland, Troy Kingi, Sokhna Shah, and Byron Koli.
The film is produced by Desiree Armstrong of Sandy Lane Productions and Morgan Waru of Piki Films, with Carto Neill, Taika Waititi, and Paul Wiegard serving as executive producers. It was shot in and around the Taranaki region with support from the local Indigenous community, and part of the crew was drawn from local and Māori talent.
The Mountain will be released in cinemas by Hope Runs High on Friday, April 22, 2026.
