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Source: ONE News -
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Prime Minister John Key will try to save The Hobbit movies and New Zealand's $2.8 billion film industry at a meeting with Warner Brothers executives next week.
Producer Sir Peter Jackson believes the studio intends taking the movies to another country because of industrial strife over actors' conditions, but Key says he hopes the problems can be resolved.
"My concern is that if Warner Brothers deems New Zealand is not a good place to make movies, then there is a real risk other major film production companies will also believe that to be the case," he said.
"Warner Brothers has already invested $100 million in The Hobbit movies so they have, historically at least, been of the view that New Zealand is a good place to make movies and it's only the actions of the unions that encouraged them to start looking at other locations."
Key said he thought it was "reprehensible" that such a successful growth area as the film industry could be destroyed by union action.
But an Auckland University Business School professor believes unions have nothing to do with the strife.
Professor Nigel Haworth says he things any decision to relocate
the movie to Europe will be made primarily on the basis of better
financial packages offered.
He says funding for the film has been an issue for some time.
Haworth believes the Government needs to re-look at its arrangements around supporting large scale productions.
The union, Actors' Equity, is also trying to save the movies and yesterday rescinded its advisory to members not to accept work on the two-part adaptation of the JRR Tolkien novel.
The ban had been put in place because the films makers refused to enter into a union-negotiated agreement.
Actors' Equity president Jennifer Ward-Lealand said yesterday the union could provide "absolute certainty" that industrial issues were no longer a barrier and its industrial organiser, Frances Walsh, said a clear undertaking had been given that there would be no industrial action during filming.
Sir Peter was scathing about union action and said previous action had undermined Warner Brothers' confidence in the New Zealand film industry.
He said lifting the advisory would not help, because the damage had already been done.
Key wasn't so pessimistic.
"I don't think we should write off our chances of retaining the movies," he said.
"There's work to be done and the government hasn't given up trying to do its best to secure the movies."
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentkiwi666 said on 2010-10-23 @ 08:46 NZDT: Report abusive post
What are you on hospitals schools the old need 60.000000 not some movie
drummer47 said on 2010-10-22 @ 23:33 NZDT: Report abusive post
This now looks a if John Key is the white Knight on his charger saving the NZ film industry when really it's National gaining tons of votes!! A really good PR exercise for the Govt. You have to wonder if there is
drrobert said on 2010-10-22 @ 20:27 NZDT: Report abusive post
There is too much invective in the comments here. This is simple game theory: Actors Equity (with MEAA and CTU support) seriously overplayed their hand. They thought that they held sufficient leverage to improve conditions, but the truth is that film financing is 'hot money', and move overseas without hesitation. Now they have learnt this lesson, they must apologise, disassociate from the MEAA, and get on with supporting NZ actors as best they can.
slumbergod said on 2010-10-22 @ 10:43 NZDT: Report abusive post
Anyone who says this movie is not important for NZ is in denial. This is a huge issue given the state of our economy at the moment. Its repercussions will affect us for many years to come. Way to go greedy actors and their arrogant unions.
mwadsworth said on 2010-10-22 @ 10:00 NZDT: Report abusive post
Dont go hobbit middle earth is right here cmon Warner do the movie justice.