The American actor has finished working on his latest series, made in Wellington, but he’s yet to pack his bags.

Its Joseph Gordon-Levitt, sitting in a strange little room somewhere in Miramar.
Kia ora, he says, in front of a grape-coloured wall.
Im just really happy to be here.
Hes talking about New Zealand, generally, not this specific room at Peter Jacksons movie-making palace, Park Road Post.
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New Zealand threw Gordon-Levitt a life raft, of sorts, when the pandemic hit.
Now, hes in no rush to leave. He, his wife Tasha McCauley and their two children have been living in Wellington since October, after it became clear Covid-19 wouldnt disappear anytime soon.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt moved to New Zealand in October after filming of his TV series stalled in the US thanks to the pandemic.
They came for work, mainly, to keep shooting his television show but now thats over, Gordon-Levitt says hes feeling rather comfortable with their new life in Wellington.
As long as youll have us, were delighted and grateful to be here, Gordon-Levitt says.
There have been some major adjustments for him working in New Zealand. Only key members of the production his latest Apple TV series Mr Corman moved to work in Wellington, leaving hundreds back in LA.
Had everything gone to plan, Mr Corman would have had a typical release in Hollywood. The first three weeks of production took place in Los Angeles, US, last year before the pandemic shut almost everything down.
When the production company suggested they move to New Zealand to finish filming and editing the remainder of the production in Wellington, Gordon-Levitt jumped at the chance.
I just about hit the roof, I thought Id won the lottery, he says. My wife and I had already been talking about New Zealand, just admiring how Jacinda Ardern and the whole country was handling the pandemic.
Only a few productions were able to continue filming in the US through the pandemic, and this indie-style television series wasnt one of them.
The truth was, it looked like our show might go up in smoke. Some shows were able to get back on their feet, but those were bigger shows, Gordon-Levitt says.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Josh Corman in Mr Corman, a show he wrote, produced and directed in New Zealand.
It was the likes of Mission Impossiblewhich kept filming. Mr Corman isnt such a sure bet for mainstream success.
Written, directed by, and starring Gordon-Levitt, the show is about what could have been for the lifelong actor had he not made a career out of art.
It follows an American teacher, Josh, as he trudges through a life hes not all that enthusiastic about. Its described as a comedy, but its not all that funny. Its playful, and can be fun. Perhaps amusing.
At one point, while Josh is in mid-argument, the scene breaks while he flies off out a window. He swims through the Milky Way, bemused; diamonds fly through the sky. Then he starts floating beside giant sperm. Gordon-Levitt has gone for moments of surrealism most commercial studios ignore.
Production of Joseph Gordon-Levitts Mr Corman moved to New Zealand in October.
It works. Its the type of wacky, indie filmmaking youd expect from a well scheduled film festival. However, this is a 10-part television series, about a guy whos in a melodramatic midlife crisis.
Theres a darkness to the protagonists existential crisis. As he wrote it, Gordon-Levitt says he wanted to connect with feelings he predicts are universal.
Universal fear of failure, or discontent, isnt often funny. So we settle on calling this a coming-of-age show, for people who have already aged. A bit more wordy than the press releases comedy/drama label, but more accurate.
You could think of it as akin to The Perks of Being A Wallflower, but for millennials getting ready for their 40s rather than teens getting ready to move out.
It toys with self-doubt, watching a jaded teacher teetering on a depressive episode as he wonders what life could be.
Its a sort of coming-of-age film, starting with someone feeling insecure whos feeling alienated from his own creativity, Gordon-Levitt explains.
He came up with the story, pulling on his own feelings as he enters his forties.
Mr Corman sees surrealism break up the everyday plot of this Apple TV series.
Yes, he has a dream job. But he wonders: Honestly though, and I dont want to be ungrateful, but my mind travels to places wondering if I am doing the right thing.
Am I any good at this? Maybe I could do something of more service to others. I have all these thoughts… I just turned 40, and arriving at adulthood its natural to ask these questions. It can be useful, and it can be funny if you have a certain sense of humour, which I guess I do.
A Pippins sign makes it into Mr Corman.
His favourite scene is another break from reality, a flight of fancy in which Josh, and his mother (played by Debra Winger) dance along the driveway towards a cartoon sun.
Theyre having trouble telling each other how important they are to one another. With realism, youd have a beat of silence, but we want to see how it feels. So, we go into this fantastical sequence.
The dance sequence itself was choreographed by Kiwis, not that youd notice. The only sign the series was shot in New Zealand is a small sign, stuck to the door of a community hall in one scene. The signs left behind from a Pippins event, the name for Kiwi Girl Guides under six years old.
The jokes, the sets, the accents: theyre all American.
New Zealanders were hired across production roles. Brendan Heffernan, a production designer, was tasked with making their Wellington set and locations look like California.
Kirsty Cameron, a designer originally from Pakuranga, Auckland, also came on board as costume designer when the series moved to Wellington.
Almost our whole crew was Kiwi, says Gordon-Levitt. Ive worked with some fantastic crews over the years, but here we worked with some truly excellent, talented people.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt arrives at The Roxy in Miramar.
His breathless praise of the people and city of Wellington raises a question about whether Gordon-Levitt will ever leave.
Hes not filming anything else, now that Mr Corman is online. His days are filled posting challenges on his website Hit Record, a website for artists to collaborate.
In his downtime, hes been spending a lot of time visiting each of Wellingtons cinemas. The Lighthouse on Cuba St is one of his favourites, but then again, he says, theres the grand Embassy Theatre on Courtney Place, or The Roxy in Miramar. In fact, he takes back what he said about Cuba St he doesnt want to pick favourites.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt meets delighted fans at The Roxy Cinema in Miramar.
In November, not long after arriving in New Zealand, he invited the whole city to join him at The Roxy to watch a film called Mank. A couple of local fans almost lost their minds at the chance to meet him, celebrating as if theyd struck gold.
Otherwise, it seems people have been playing it pretty casual around Gordon-Levitt.
Im really enjoying it, he says. The people here are amazing. Not just the people I have worked with, but the people we meet and the people who have welcomed me and my family so warmly into their community. I have felt such a warmth and such a graciousness here, that it has really been beautiful and moving.
Gordon-Levitt seems happy in his strange little purple-coloured room in Miramar. If he wasnt a Hollywood celeb, it would be easy to talk about the thunderstorms that kept Wellington awake last night, or if Lyall Bays The Botanist still does a good vege burger.
Alas, as much as Gordon-Levitt claims to be just Joe from Wellington theres about five American publicists watching us chat. They get twitchy when conversations flow.
For now, however, Gordon-Levitt is a self-employed dad in suburban Wellington working on art projects online. A few months ago, he was the director of an experimental telly drama backed by multinational companies like Apple.
And in a few months, well, he might still be here. Or, he might be off filming something else.
The future is unpredictable.