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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With the news that the NZ Equity Meeting was canceled last night, we are now getting some reports from the ground. Below you will find two reports: One from a witness to the resulting technician march (with pictures!); Another from a technician marching with some exclusive information. As a quick summary, the general consensus is that the meeting was canceled last night when it was realized the protest group greatly outnumbered those in the actor’s equity. However, the worst news comes from Jabes report:
We received news tonight that the Hobbit is essentially lost to NZ, but maybe some drastic act would help brew enough support to present a solid case to Warner/MGM
Thanks to Ringer Caras Galadhon and Ringer Jabes for sharing their reports! Click ‘continue’ to read them in their entirety.
Continue reading “NZ March Reports – Hobbit already moving??”
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Last night’s meeting of New Zealand Actor’s Equity was cancelled, and a planned protest of that meeting by a group of 1000 film technicians turned into a march through the streets of Wellington. It is all part of the latest happenings as New Zealand tries to secure the production of The Hobbit films. The group of film technicians, lead by Sir Richard Taylor, had planned to call for the end of the NZ Actor’s Equity Hobbit film boycott.
Speaking after the technicians’ meeting Sir Richard Taylor, head of WETA Workshop, told TVNZ that the New Zealand film industry was “at some level of peril”.
“The mood is one of great concern … Wellington film technicians want to be heard. They want to be represented in these very bizarre and strange events that are going on right now,” he said.
What does this mean for the production of The Hobbit films? The issue now is ‘where’ the Hobbit films will be filmed. It was assumed from the start that revisiting middle-earth would take place in New Zealand, but with these type of ongoing issues, we could see the production move elsewhere as Peter Jackson stated a few weeks back. TheOneRing.net is proud to have strong ties to New Zealand and we hope that some resolution can be reached asap.
We have posted a new poll on the site to get your opinion on the location of The Hobbit films, tell us what you think!
Here are a few articles outlining the events last night…
Hobbit films in ‘peril’, says Weta chief – NZ Herald
Hobbit Technicians meet in Mirmar – Dominion Post/Stuff.co.nz
March over The Hobbit – Dominion Post/Stuff.co.nz
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Fictional Frontiers with Sohaib which airs on WNJC-1360 AM Philadelphia did a segment with a TORn senior staffer regarding all the most recent developments with “The Hobbit”. You can catch it right here.
And, if you keep listening beyond the “Hobbit” segment, you can hear Naomi Novik talk about Peter Jackson and “The Lord of the Rings,” and “The Hobbit,” and her own Temeraire series which Jackson owns the rights to and plans to eventually turn into films.
Update: Thanks to our friend, Deleece Cook, you can read a full transcript of the TORn interview using the “Continue Reading” link below.
Continue reading “TORn senior staff goes radio to talk ‘Hobbit’”
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A few weeks ago a labor dispute and boycott by a New Zealand actors union and Peter Jackson threatened to moved “The Hobbit” away from the island nation.
Now with Jackson and the union in a fairly quiet state while meetings, including some involving government agencies go on, everybody is holding their breath to see where two “Hobbit” movies land.
The union, Actor’s Equity New Zealand, is holding meetings Wednesday in Wellington and Thursday in Auckland “to discuss how we can work together to progress new industry standards for performers.” According to the website, linked after the break, the meetings are set for Wednesday in Wellington and Thursday in Auckland. Continue reading “More actors’ meetings in New Zealand this week”
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