Request denied: Kirsten Dunst tried to dodge forced isolation in New Zealand hotel

The actress and her fiance, Jesse Plemons, made a request to quarantine at a rural property instead of a government-mandated hotel

Kirsten Dunst and her fiance, Jesse Plemons, asked to spend a mandatory two-week quarantine period in New Zealand in a rural property. EPA

Hollywood stars Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons tried to avoid a two-week quarantine at a New Zealand hotel, arguing the government-mandated stay didn't offer enough privacy.

The engaged couple, who have a two-year-old son, travelled to the country to film The Power of the Dog, a drama directed by Jane Campion.

The pair had already been granted special exemption to enter New Zealand, with the country virtually shutting its borders to visitors because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.

As part of the special allowance, the couple – together with the film's cast and crew – were required to undertake two weeks of managed quarantine in an approved five-star Auckland hotel.

Plemons, 32, and Dunst, 38, instead submitted an application in May to isolate at a rural property, according to information shared with local news group Stuff.

Details of the request, released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, revealed the couple were concerned for their privacy.

"In order for Ms Dunst and Mr Plemons to undertake their travel to New Zealand, they must be assured of the highest standards of privacy," the application stated.

"There is a huge amount of public interest in Ms Dunst and Mr Plemons and their activities. She is routinely followed by paparazzi photographers and articles have been published on their activities in New Zealand."

While the country's Ministry of Health refused to confirm if the couple's request had been approved, Dunst told Variety earlier this month that she had found it challenging "having a two-year-old in a hotel room for two weeks".

The couple had been filming in New Zealand earlier in the year, before production was halted in April owing to the pandemic. Dunst and Plemons returned to the US, and filming resumed in June. The actors have since completed filming and have once more returned home.

The Power of the Dog, which also stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Thomasin McKenzie, is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage.

The film, centred on a pair of sparring brothers, is scheduled to be released next year.