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Now Peter Jackson Can Make The Hobbit in New Zealand… But Won’t


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Yesterday I posted that Peter Jackson had announced that he wouldn’t be filming The Hobbit in New Zealand due to the labor issues/union kerfluffle. Well, this apparently scared the union shitless, because yesterday evening the New Zealand Actors Equity immediately begged the Screen Actors’ Guild to stop the boycott, which they did. So we’re good, right? The Hobbit can film in New Zealand, the actors are allowed to work, the movie is actually going to get made, right? Answer: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Here is Peter Jackson’s press release response to the lifting of the ban:

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.

The spectacle of NZ Actors’ Equity suddenly cancelling their
Wellington meeting, because film workers wanted to express to them their
concern at losing The Hobbit, exemplifies the pure gutlessness
of this small, self-centred group. They don’t appear to care about the
repurcussions of their actions on others, nor are they prepared to take
responsibility for decisions made in their name. [There’s much more, but you get the idea.]

Jackson is bitter. So bitter he doesn’t even want to film in New Zealand anymore. Whether you think he’s right or not, I still say there’s no way they find a new place, cast the roles, and get all the necessary pre-production done in four months. The start will be delayed, and it’ll all fall apart again. So sorry. Not. Getting. Made. (Via Deadline)