Lee Tamahori announces remake of Once Were Warriors

Featuring prominent Māori politicians

May 30, 2025

Acclaimed director Lee Tamahori has confirmed that production will begin this October on a remake of his iconic 1994 film Once Were Warriors. The updated version will feature a unique twist, casting a number of well-known Māori political figures in key roles.

Tamahori has described the project as a bold reimagining that aims to blend the raw emotional intensity of the original with a contemporary cast drawn from Aotearoa’s political landscape.

Here is a breakdown of the cast and roles currently rumoured or confirmed:

Jake Heke – Rawiri Waititi

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi is said to be in talks to take on the lead role of Jake Heke, a character known for his volatile, abusive behaviour and frequent brawls, often fuelled by alcohol. The role was originally played by Temuera Morrison and remains one of the most infamous characters in New Zealand film history.

The film opens with Jake losing his job after refusing to get vaccinated, forcing him onto the unemployment benefit. With little direction, he slips into a routine of long days at the pub, drinking Lion Red and smoking meth in the carpark with his mates. His downward spiral accelerates when his benefit gets sanctioned for failing to meet job-seeking obligations, sending him over the edge.

Beth Heke – Debbie Ngarewa-Packer

Another Te Pāti Māori co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, is set to portray Beth Heke, Jake’s long-suffering wife. Despite questions about her strong Irish whakapapa in some circles, director Tamahori has defended the casting, saying Ngarewa-Packer "acted Māori her entire life, she will be perfect". Beth is the emotional centre of the original film, navigating the trauma of domestic violence while holding her whānau together and making really good eggs.

The cycle of domestic violence continues in this modern remake, with Jake unleashing his rage on Beth, particularly during his meth comedowns. Oranga Tamariki visits the household multiple times a week, raising concerns about the family's safety. Meanwhile, Beth regularly turns to the local Salvation Army for food parcels, struggling to cope with the relentless pressures of the rising cost of living which started under the previous Labour government.

Gracie Heke – Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke

Rising political figure Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the youngest MP in the New Zealand Parliament, will step into the role of Gracie Heke. Tamahori notes that Maipi-Clarke brings a "fresh, youthful perspective" to the story, reflecting the generational shifts within Māori communities today.

In the remake, Gracie harbours political ambitions and sets her sights on joining Te Pāti Māori. Midway through the film, she throws her hat in the ring for the Hauraki-Waikato seat. To boost her public profile, she fabricates a story about being the victim of a ramraid by a Pākehā, sparking a wave of sympathy - and votes. She wins the seat and celebrates with what can only be described as the most cringe-inducing haka ever performed in Parliament, which quickly goes viral for all the wrong reasons. In a surprising cameo, Andrew Tate appears on a podcast reacting to the clip, simply labelling the haka as "gay."

Nig Heke – Eru Kapa-Kingi

Activist and Toitū Te Tiriti leader Eru Kapa-Kingi is set to play Nig Heke, the eldest son of Jake and Beth. Known for his facial moko, Kapa-Kingi has reportedly drawn inspiration from the original film for his appearance, stating in an interview, "I got the tattoo after seeing Nig in Once Were Warriors. He looked strong, and I wanted that energy otherwise I just look way too Pākeha - it was a career move more than anything"

In this updated version, instead of joining a criminal gang, he joins Te Pāti Māori, which is portrayed as equally chaotic. He quickly becomes a professional grifter, cashing in on taxpayer dollars while delivering tearful monologues about colonisation. Behind the scenes, his uncle, John Tamihere, pulls the strings like a seasoned puppet master.

Uncle John starts a company called Toitū Te Tiriti and organises a motorised "hikoi" to Parliament - a convoy protest with more utes on finance than placards - all under the guise of resisting the white man. In a twist, it's revealed the entire movement was a cleverly disguised marketing campaign for Te Pāti Māori.

Dooley – Tākuta Ferris

Ferris is reportedly stepping into the iconic role of Dooley, one of Jake "the Muss" Heke’s ever-reliable pub pals and honorary minister of binge diplomacy - a casting choice that, frankly, isn’t much of a stretch.

In the film’s raucous party scenes, where broken bottles outnumber coherent sentences, Dooley doesn’t so much command attention as he does stumble around in its general direction. Sound familiar?

Much like his performance in Parliament, Ferris brings to the role a steadfast commitment to looking busy while contributing little, a knack for ignoring red flags, and an uncanny ability to blend into the background of unfolding disaster. It's almost poetic, art imitating political life.

Boogie Heke – Rohan O’Neill-Stevens

Nelson Deputy Mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens, who claims ancestry from Ngāti Apakura, which has been highly debated, will play Boogie Heke, the second son who is now queer. The role touches on themes of displacement, state care, and the loss of cultural and sexual identity. O’Neill-Stevens has expressed interest in exploring these issues through his performance.

Rohan will be making weekly visits to @SunkissedbyShazza, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer’s spray tan artist, in pursuit of that signature Ngāti No. 7 glow.

Uncle Bully – Benjamin Doyle

In one of the least surprising casting rumours, Green MP Benjamin Doyle is reportedly being considered for the controversial role of Uncle Bully. If cast, Tamahori is said to be considering renaming the character "Uncle Bussy" as part of a modern update to make the film more socially conscious. The character remains one of the most disturbing in the original, and this reported name change has already sparked online debate.

In the film, Uncle Bussy aligns himself with the Green Party and becomes a prolific voice on social media, where he loudly declares his identity as both Māori and queer - despite being Pākeha and having a long-term female partner. Known for wearing dresses to Parliament and leaning heavily into performative politics, his antics appear to be more about gaining attention than making policy. However, the spotlight turns harsh when he’s outed on X for using symbols associated with paedophile networks and sharing highly sexualised images of his own child, causing a public scandal that derails his carefully curated persona.

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A modern retelling of a classic

The 2025 remake of Once Were Warriors takes a bold, unapologetically modern turn, diving headfirst into the chaos of contemporary Aotearoa. Director Lee Tamahori reimagines the gritty classic through a present-day lens, complete with scenes of late-night ram raids, child homicides, grocery shopping at Pak’nSave in pyjamas with a WINZ card, and a toilet-paper shortage woven seamlessly into the narrative. The film’s world is unmistakably New Zealand: raw, ironic, and unfiltered.

In a move sure to spark debate, the cast features a deliberately diverse line-up, including multiple transgender characters whose identities are central to the plot. One particularly striking scene involves a classroom full of school furries, who are granted a litter box bathroom break in a poignant nod to educational inclusion. Meanwhile, COVID-era anxieties make their return, with mandatory vaccinations subtly embedded into character arcs and community dynamics.

Despite the updated setting, Tamahori remains committed to the original’s heavy themes: intergenerational trauma, domestic violence, cultural identity, and Māori blaming everything wrong in their life on colonisation. However, this time the lens is far more political. Instead of traditional casting calls, much of the ensemble is drawn directly from Parliament, creating a meta-commentary on leadership, representation, and public performance. Early footage hints at cameo appearances by several MPs in emotionally charged roles, blurring the line between satire and social critique.

Already, the film is generating significant public interest and controversy. Some hail it as a brave cultural reckoning, while others see it as an overcooked parody of modern politics. Either way, Once Were Warriors (2025) is shaping up to be more than a remake. It is a reflection of the nation’s fractured mirror: equal parts tragic, absurd, and strangely familiar.

Filming is scheduled to begin in October, with a release expected in late 2026.