UNIONS, PRODUCERS REACH NEW CONTRACT AGREEMENT

Largely sidestepping the new media issues that stalemated contract negotiations nearly two years ago, representatives of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) announced today (Sunday) that they had signed a new, three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), subject to approval […]

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 […]

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 […]

ACTIVIST SAG MEMBER SAYS SHE WON’T SEEK REELECTION

Anne-Marie Johnson, one of the prime movers of the activist Membership First faction of the Screen Actors Guild, has informed SAG members that she will not seek reelection as first vice president. Her announcement came after Membership First lost out to the moderate group United for Strength in contests for all 13 open seats on […]

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 […]