NZ Prime Minister John Key was on Newstalk ZB this morning and said the following: “I have spoken with the chief executive of Warner Brothers, who I know, but the real meeting is set to be this afternoon. They’re sending their senior people here. They want to assess things. They’re definitely not coming here to say no (to having the movie filmed in New Zealand) – if they were they probably wouldn’t send such a high-power team; they probably wouldn’t send a team at all. But there’s no question the action of the unions has destabilised their confidence in New Zealand – we’re a long, long way from a slam-dunk with the films being made in New Zealand.”
Category: Production
Hollywood studio bosses go into talks tomorrow in Wellington with a loud and clear message that The Hobbit should be filmed in New Zealand.
Thanks to Hunter Abbey for sending in this video of the Wellington Rally of Hope!
It’s a serious topic for the hundreds of film and tourism workers among the 2000-strong crowd, but Wellington’s Save the Hobbit rally had a terrific positive energy. The party atmosphere was helped by the music – Wellington bands like Fly My Pretties (I think!), Poi E! from the movie Boy, and when the time came to concentrate our attention on the subject at hand, a beautiful rendition of Pokarekareana.
The crowd fell silent and after an introduction from our newly-elected mayor (Celia Wade-Brown, who’s something of a tech geek), we heard Richard Taylor address the crowd, which he did with his usual blend of sincerity, passion and gentle humour. Continue reading “Party Atmosphere at Wellington Hobbit Rally”
Photographer Robert Catto sent us a link to his collection of excellent photographs of Wellington’s “Hobbit,” rally. There are a lot of snapshots of the event but Catto’s work is worth this click..
Markus writers: Hey guys – I just came back from the rally in Wellington. I estimate about a thousand people there. I was a little late but I counted 6 speakers. All said heart-touching words about their history with the lord of the rings, their impression of the film industry in New Zealand and how their own life was changed. Continue reading “Another account of ‘Hobbit’ rally”