NZ likely to lose Hobbit
Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh have said that lifting the blacklist on The Hobbit does nothing to help the film stay in New Zealand because the damage is done, and even they will continue to fight for it, Warner Bros. representatives will visit the country next week to make arrangements to move it overseas.
Jackson warned that this conflict will have a domino effect on New Zealand’s industry, with international investors and studios losing confidence over the country’s perceived ‘unstable employment environment’.
This is the full statement:
I am a born Kiwi, who has lived in Australia for all his working life and to me this news of Warner perhaps pulling the plug is alarming. I have noted over time that NZ has built an enviable reputation in film making and I have looked with some pride on the films and even the quality of actors coming out of New Zealand.
Oddly enough I had written a manuscript based around factual events, which has been turned into a cinema screenplay by Ian David, which has now gained funding and support from within the film industry in Australia. As this nears production, NZ has been considered for some production works and some filming. I would be disappointed if the NZ industry was not to play a role in production due to industrial action.
I have lived through 4 years of seeing a story work its way through the mire of treatments, polishes, legal hurdles, options and more legal hurdles. Will my people want to see further delays at the chosen production venue. Probably not.
Hope it gets sorted.
Kind Regards,
Merv Harris
http://twitter.com/strawmenfilm
NZ to lose Hobbit films?
Serves them right for dealing with MEAA, who are good at screwing things up.
Want a US actor in your film so it has a chance of International Sales?
Forget it.
MEAA put up as many roadblocks as they can and have derailed many, many films.
It’s a shame actors in Australia can’t see what damage this union is doing to our industry…
I guess they fucked up the Industry enough in Australia, they have moved onto other countries now to spread their special brand of …. bullying.
Years ago the word ‘union’ meant something, now its about being a pack of wolves and descending on anyone with a different ethos or business model.
Its just insane…Peter Jackson made three great films with the Lord of the Rings and now for some stupid petty reason they think their film isn’t safe? The Union..pull your head in…Australia fix your own backyard before you go messing up somebody else’s..Warner Brothers be pragmatic and have some faith