Wētā Workshop is turning its hand from Hollywood blockbusters to recreating one of New Zealand's most famous victories of WWI.
It's designing a living memorial in Le Quesnoy where Kiwi troops liberated the northern French town from the Germans in late 1918.
A grand old mansion in the French town of Le Quesnoy will soon become the new home of one of our most famous war stories.
"How Kiwi troops scaled the wall using a ladder to get into the town and chase the Germans out and to capture them," said Weta Workshop senior creative director Andrew Thomas.
But just what that recreation will look like remains a secret for now.
Wētā Workshop is developing plans to bring to life the tale of the Kiwi triumph over German forces in the last days of WWI.
"We have to be very careful about the sensitivities of the story and the people involved," Thomas said.
One of those involved, Leslie Averill, was the first soldier to climb up the wall, sparking the liberation.
It's an occasion still celebrated today, with locals marking Anzac Day commemorations early.
"The fact that this town was liberated by troops that had come from the other side of the world and it has a special place in the hearts of the inhabitants of Le Quesnoy," one said.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for people to come in and see some of the history, some of the New Zealand history in France," another said.
Wētā Workshop has dived into our war history before, creating Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War.
More than three million people have been through the exhibition at Te Papa in Wellington.
"Really hope the living memorial will achieve the connection and relationships between people who go there," Thomas said.
No civilians died during the liberation, however 135 of our soldiers did. The town has never forgotten.
"The sacrifice of our soldiers and the ties that have endured now as the mayor said over 100 years," Ambassador to France Caroline Bilkey said.
It's hoped by Anzac Day next year this Kiwi story will have a new chapter to be told.
