Sir Peter Jackson was interviewed earlier today on New Zealand’s TV ONE on the future of the Hobbit films in New Zealand. Excerpts follow:
“It’s a question of confidence in our industrial relations and the damage was done within a week of the blacklist going on.”
“There are risks involved in movies, they have to be good films, they have to earn a profit and [studios] need the insurance factor that money is going into a stable industrial climate.”
“Up until a month ago, no one had even thought in a million years that this movie was going to leave the country. And then this blacklist was bought on, and the studio said ‘What the hell is going on?’ and we tried to figure out what the hell was going on. At that point confidence in our country as a stable base to make movies started to erode.”
Warner Bros. representatives will be flying down to New Zealand next week to begin preparations for moving the films off-shore, and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has made it known he is prepared to meet with them. However, PJ’s comments on the same seem to add veracity to the fact that the decision to keep the film in New Zealand is no longer in his hands.
“This is where I’m out of my depth. I can talk my way around the movie, but to tell the studio why investing $500 million in our country is a good idea when they’ve just seen the disgusting frivolous action that’s just happened, I don’t know what to say. The Prime Minister should say something because I certainly don’t know what to say.”
Read the entire interview over at New Zealand’s TV ONE.
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SAG (The Screen Actors Guild) has released the following statement tonight:
“Today, our sister union New Zealand Actors Equity issued a statement recommending all international performer unions rescind their member advisories on the feature film production The Hobbit. In light of this recommendation, Screen Actors Guild will be alerting its members that they are now free to accept engagements, under Screen Actors Guild contract terms and conditions, on The Hobbit.”
While this is great news for the production, it does not necessarily mean all is well to film The Hobbit in New Zealand. Time will tell, and we’ll keep you updated! Thanks to all the readers out there who sent in this link. [Read on]
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Co-producers and co-writers of the latest Tolkien movie production The Hobbit, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens joined took to the radio airwaves today to talk about the controversy surrounding the actors union and “Hobbit” production that has Wellington and even all of New Zealand in turmoil. Also on the show was Council of Trade Unions President Helen Kelly, who’s been involved in the complex negotiations on the film production. Walsh and Boyens can be heard right here while Kelly’s segment is available here. Both can be found here where you can download MP3s.
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Hunter Abbey (hunterabbey.co.nz) has sent us an exclusive video of the protest last night:
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The Hobbit seems set to be taken offshore, with the film’s producers due in New Zealand to begin preparations next week.
Sir Peter Jackson and the producers have been in a standoff with actors unions who have boycotted the Lord of the Rings prequels as they have agitated for a collective agreement.
There has been speculation that production could be taken overseas. Other countries had offered a one-off deal that is double New Zealand’s 15 per cent tax rebate for films.
Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh said last night the lifting of the actors union’s blacklist “does nothing to help the film stay in New Zealand”.
“The damage inflicted on our film industry by [the actors unions] is long since done.”
[Read on]
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Just breaking on Auckland’s Newstalk ZB:
Sir Peter Jackson’s new film won’t be shot in New Zealand after an actors dispute threatened to de-rail the project
The Hobbit will no longer be filmed in New Zealand.
Sir Peter Jackson’s production company Wingnut Films says Warners is coming to New Zealand to make arrangements to move the production offshore. The company’s been in dispute with New Zealand Actors Equity, over collective bargaining.
Wingnut says even though the union has now lifted The Hobbit off its blacklist, the damage to our film industry has already been done. It says a decision by the actors’ union to cancel a Wellington meeting with film workers who wanted to express their concern about losing The Hobbit, exemplifies the pure ‘gutlessness’ of the ‘self-centred group’.
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