Hollywood star Florence Pugh says a pōwhiri welcoming cast and crew to New Zealand was a highlight of making Netflix's East of Eden, which was filmed at heritage sites in Auckland and Coromandel.
The British actor told Late Night with Seth Meyers that experiencing the Māori tradition was "so beautiful".
"We started the shooting schedule with this incredible ceremony," the Little Women actress said.
"You're immediately full of this power and love. It was a very special way to shoot."
The series, based on John Steinbeck's 1952 novel, is set in California's Salinas Valley. Production crews filmed in New Zealand in December 2024 and turned three Heritage New Zealand properties into early 20th-century America: Alberton and Highwic in Auckland, and the Thames School of Mines on the Coromandel Peninsula.
About 150 crew members worked across the sites, the largest production Heritage New Zealand has hosted.
Heritage staff said the rooms at Highwic and Alberton had been dressed to look lived-in, and walking through them felt like stepping back in time.
Heritage New Zealand Auckland properties lead Tanya Wilkinson said the organisation had been thrilled to host the production.
"We were delighted and honoured that Alberton, Highwic and Thames School of Mines were selected as backdrops for the East of Eden series," she said.
"Due to the outstanding professionalism of everyone involved we have no doubt the series is going to win a lot of well-deserved awards."
East of Eden began streaming on Netflix on Thursday.
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