TORn message board member Owain has alerted us to an interview with NZ Prime Minister John Key over at the New Zealand Herald. Mr. Key believes The Hobbit movies can be saved and he says he is going to do his best to achieve that end when Warner Bros. executives arrive in New Zealand next week to begin preparations to move the films off-shore.
Here follow a few of his comments from the aforementioned interview:
“My concern is that if Warner Brothers deems New Zealand is not a good place to make movies, then there is a real risk other major film production companies will also believe that to be the case. There’s work to be done and the Government hasn’t given up trying to do its best to secure the movies. This is a very successful growth area for New Zealand and to have the film industry destroyed on the back of the actions of the unions is, I think, reprehensible.”
“I don’t think we should write off our chances of retaining the movies. Warner Brothers has already invested $100 million in The Hobbit movies so they have, historically at least, been of the view that New Zealand is a good place to make movies and it’s only the actions of the unions that encouraged them to start looking at other locations.”
The full interview is available at the news site of the New Zealand Herald.
Sir Peter Jackson was interviewed earlier today on New Zealand’s TV ONEon 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 ZealandPrime 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.”
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]
As news of the apparent resolution to this whole Hobbit mess hits the wire, we have more video to show you of the protest, and the local news coverage. First take a look at a fan made video of the protest, then a news report featuring Helen Kelly, president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.
New Zealand media commentator Russell Brown lends his perspective of where breakdowns have occurred along the path of seeking rights for New Zealand actors.
“If production of the Hobbit does indeed go to Ireland, there will be an extraordinary irony: the industrial relations environment around the film will be benign because Irish Equity did what New Zealand Actors’ Equity would have done had it been even minimally competent.”
A harsh look at NZAE, to be sure, but the piece also contains some good background information. Continued thanks to Kiwi staff member Ataahua for funneling all the ‘local’ media releases to us so quickly.
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.
TORn message board member Owain has alerted us to an interview with NZ Prime Minister John Key over at the New Zealand Herald. Mr. Key believes The Hobbit movies can be saved and he says he is going to do his best to achieve that end when Warner Bros. executives arrive in New Zealand next week to begin preparations to move the films off-shore.
