Hobbit looks headed overseas

The Dominion, 21 October, 2010

Actors have reacted furiously to Sir Peter Jackson's announcement that The Hobbit could be taken offshore.

Sir Peter 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.

The Hobbit received the green light from United States studios at the weekend, with Sir Peter as director and shooting for the 3-D films to begin in February.
During the dispute there had 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."
The move has undermined Warner Brothers confidence in the industry "and they are now, quite rightly, very concerned about the security of their $500m investment".
"Next week Warners are coming down to New Zealand to make arrangements to move the production offshore. It appears we cannot make films in our own country even when substantial financing is available."
While they would fight to keep the film in New Zealand, the decision ultimately rested with Warner Brothers.

Actors' Equity committee member Robyn Malcolm told Morning Report this morning she could not believe a request for a discussion around conditions like overtime, penalty rates and transport was enough to derail a multi-million dollar movie project.

“If it does go offshore it will have nothing to do with Actor’s Equity.
“We’re not even the coffee budget,” Malcolm said.

The full story at stuff.co.nz

And from the New Zealand Herald:

Hobbit co-writer: 'We've had it'

By Paul Harper, Derek Cheng, Hayden Donnell and Amelia Wade
11:30 AM Thursday Oct 21, 2010
The Hobbit is slipping away from New Zealand despite the best efforts of its producers, the film's co-writer Philippa Boyens says.

The producers of the Lord of the Rings prequel overnight issued a statement saying preparations were being made to move the film off-shore.

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh said industrial action by NZ Actors' Equity and Australian union Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance had "undermined [Warner Brothers'] confidence in New Zealand as a stable employment environment."

Click here for the full statement.

Ms Boyens and the film co-producer Fran Walsh later delivered a stark assessment of the production's future to National Radio.
"We can literally feel it slipping through our hands," said Ms Boyens.
"We've had it. We've fought as hard as we can. We are in a situation where we are fighting to save it.
"Unfortunately it feels to us like this conversation is already done. We don't know how far we have to go to retrieve the situation."
Fran Walsh said the film's loss would be an "absolute tragedy".
Delays to shooting as the result of industrial action had already lost the studio millions of dollars, she said.

Full report at NZH.