HOBBIT STILL HOMELESS

After meeting with ten Warner Bros. executives who had flown to New Zealand to participate in crisis talks over the filming of The Hobbit in that country, Prime Minister John Key told reporters that, while the talks were “constructive,” chances of the production remaining in New Zealand were no greater than 50-50. Although Key had [...]

RALLIES BRING OUT THOUSANDS OF NEW ZEALAND FILM WORKERS

Thousands of workers in New Zealand’s film industry staged rallies throughout the country today (Monday) as Warner Bros. executives arrived to consider moving the production of the two The Hobbit movies to a different country. Actor Mark Harrison, who organized the rallies, told The Australian newspaper, “With Warner Bros. coming here to have crisis talks [...]

WILL THE HOBBIT LEAVE THE SHIRE?

Warner Bros. and New Line indicated on Thursday that they would not participate in talks between New Zealand’s Actors’ Equity Union and the Screen Production & Development Association, which represents New Zealand film producers. Earlier this week the union said that it would call off its boycott against Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit as a precondition [...]

JACKSON SAYS HOBBIT MOVIES WON’T FILM IN NEW ZEALAND

UPDATE: Late today, the New Zealand actors union said that it will not boycott The Hobbit production. SAG and AFTRA immediately issued advisories to its members saying that they were now free to work on it. However, Daily Variety reported that Warner Bros., New Line and MGM have not yet decided whether to keep the [...]

HOBBIT GREENLIT

Despite reports that Warner Bros./New Line has “officially” given the green light to start production on the two-part Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit, no date was mentioned in the studio’s announcement. Published reports said on Friday that MGM and Warner’s have reached an agreement on financing the movie, and the film’s producer/director, Peter [...]

NEW ZEALAND P.M. OFFERS TO HELP SETTLE HOBBIT DISPUTE

The prime minister of New Zealand has offered to play “a facilitation role” between Peter Jackson and an Australian actors union in order to prevent the production of the planned Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit, from leaving the country. In a television interview, the prime minister, John Key, said, “If you can’t make [...]

UNIONS, STUDIOS BATTLE OVER THE HOBBIT

The three studios that are due to produce and distribute the Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit, have responded to the decision by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to instruct their members not to work on the film, an action taken in support of Australia’s Media, [...]

U.S. ACTORS UNIONS ORDER MEMBERS NOT TO WORK ON THE HOBBIT

Throwing their considerable weight behind the New Zealand branch of Australia’s actors’ union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have notified their members not to accept work on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit. Jackson quickly [...]

STYMIED STUDIO, DEPARTED DIRECTOR BUT WORK ON “THE HOBBIT” GOES ON

It’s hard to determine who’s paying for them, but cave-like homes are already being constructed near the New Zealand town of Matamata for use as sets in the forthcoming Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit. Defying a photo ban in the area, a German website, Herr-der-ringe-film.de, posted photos of the caves Wednesday culled from [...]

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