I have no idea how many of you have been following the trials and tribulations Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit is currently facing, but since I haven’t dealt with it specifically just yet I figured I would give you a little update as a video interview with Jackson and Hobbit co-producer Philippa Boyens with TV New Zealand’s Mark Sainsbury has just arrived online.
It was first reported back on September 25 that the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was advising actors not to accept work on the “non-union” Hobbit production as part of an international labor effort begun by New Zealand Actors’ Equity and its umbrella The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance headquartered in Australia. The goal was to bring The Hobbit filmmakers to the table to negotiate a contract providing minimum guarantees on wages and working conditions, residual payments and cancellation payments to actors engaged on the production.
In a statement issued by the Screen Actors Guild it said:
For some years performers in New Zealand have struggled on non-union contracts. These contracts provide no minimum guarantees of wages or working conditions, no residual payments and no cancellation payments in the event the performer’s contract is cancelled.
Two days later Warner Bros., New Line and MGM issued a statement regarding the issue at hand:
New Line, Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures are concerned by the recent allegations of unfair treatment of actors in New Zealand and instructions from the performers’ guilds to their membership to withhold services from the producers of The Hobbit in New Zealand.
We are proud to have good relations with all of those performers’ guilds and value their contribution to the motion pictures produced in their respective jurisdictions throughout the world. But we believe that in this case the allegations are baseless and unfair to Peter Jackson and his team in Wellington who have been tireless supporters of the New Zealand motion picture community.
To classify the production as “non-union” is inaccurate. The cast and crew are being engaged under collective bargaining agreements where applicable and we are mindful of the rights of those individuals pursuant to those agreements. And while we have previously worked with MEAA, an Australian union now seeking to represent actors in New Zealand, the fact remains that there cannot be any collective bargaining with MEAA on this New Zealand production, for to do so would expose the production to liability and sanctions under New Zealand law. This legal prohibition has been explained to MEAA. We are disappointed that
Then, on October 20 it seemed as if all had been settled as SAG and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) had rescinded the order to stop its actor members from working on The Hobbit because of a request from sister union New Zealand Actors Equity. But hold up, a statement issued by Jackson and partner Fran Walsh yesterday, October 21, doesn’t paint a pretty picture.
Here are some snippets:
The lifting of the blacklist on The Hobbit does nothing to help the films stay in New Zealand. The damage inflicted on our film industry by NZ Equity/MEAA is long since done.
Next week Warners are coming down to NZ to make arrangements to move the production off-shore. It appears we now cannot make films in our own country – even when substantial financing is available. […]
NZ Equity’s unjustified industrial action against The Hobbit has undermined Warner Bro’s confidence in New Zealand as a stable employment environment, and they are now, quite rightly, very concerned about the security of their $500m investment. Unfortunately lifting the blacklist does nothing to help the situation. This will be the start of a domino effect, as word of NZ’s unstable employment environment, registers with film investors and studios, world-wide. […]
We will continue the fight to keep the film in NZ, but ultimately this decision belongs to Warner Bro’s. We are however, hugely heartened by the incredible show of support from Wellington actors, technicians and crew. It is a reflection of the terrific pride NZ film workers have in their industry and their very real fear of losing their jobs.
Also, yesterday, Fran Walsh was quoted by Stuff.co.nz saying production may move to the UK, “[Warner Bros. has] a huge studio that Harry Potter have vacated that they own and they say would be perfect for us,” she told Radio NZ. It’s never a good sign when viable options begin showing their face.
So here we are, October 22 and now we have something more than statements after Jackson spoke on TV New Zealand’s “Close Up” regarding the situation and is obviously irritated by the entire situation saying, “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 happened… I literally don’t know what to say to them.”
The situation Jackson describes is exactly what’s going to take place next week when Warner execs land in New Zealand to hear a sales pitch from John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Will it stay in New Zealand? It seems as if Jackson wants it to as he points to the construction of Gollum’s Cave directly behind him during the interview, which took place from the Weta Cave in Wellington.
However, when the interview turns its attention to the president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Helen Kelly, whom is quoted as saying Jackson “is behaving like a spoiled brat” it’s when his anger is clearly evident saying, “I’m trying to save my movie. She’s behaving like somebody who thinks she knows about filmmaking, she really hasn’t got a god damned clue…. How dare you. You are choosing an Australian union over the workers of our country. Stuff her. I don’t care what the hell she says.” Ouch. Has the damage been done?
Yesterday we received casting confirmation for the film, which is expected to begin shooting early 2011 for a December 2012 release, but this issue still remains and next week I expect we’ll hear what exactly is going to happen, but for now check out Jackson’s interview with Mark Sainsbury directly below.
Thanks to Deadline for the continuing updated information on this topic. The majority of the links in this post point directly to all the statements I reference unless otherwise noted.
