Post date: Oct 25, 2010 11:51:58 AM
Thousands take to the streets in Wellington calling for the planned Hobbit movies to be produced in New Zealand and not elsewhere because of a dispute over employment conditions.
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (OCTOBER 25, 2010) TVNZ - Thousands of New Zealanders took to streets on Monday (October 25) to protest against possible plans to move the production of Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" movie, overseas.
With some dressed as Hobbits or other characters from Middle Earth, they carried banners reading: "New Zealand is Middle Earth" and "We Love Hobbits," aiming to reassure nervous Hollywood studio executives rattled by a short-lived union boycott.
The rallies were held a day before representatives from Warner Bros. Pictures were due to arrive in New Zealand to decide where to shoot the lucrative $500 million adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy.
"I hope we get the movie and everybody can get to work and can forget about this episode I guess," one unidentified film worker said.
"The films leading on after that makes me passionate about it. So, without a strong industry here, there is no chance of getting work on other films," another film worker told Television New Zealand.
Jackson made Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in his native New Zealand, boosting the local film industry and enhancing the tiny country's international image.
He had planned to shoot a two-part adaptation of "The Hobbit" locally as well, but union protests about working conditions infuriated Jackson and unnerved the studio.
The Time Warner division said last week it would seek film locations outside New Zealand, a move that economists said could cost the country up to $1.5 billion.
The unions have backed down, and industry analysts believe Warner Bros. will use The Hobbit crisis to extract financial incentives when executives meet a high-powered delegation led by Prime Minister John Key on Tuesday (October 26).
Key told reporters on Monday that he thought there was a 50-50 chance of the movies being filmed in New Zealand.
"This is the better half of the half of the three quarters of a billion dollars that Warner Brothers have to invest and they have got to be make sure that they can hit the deadlines, they have got to be sure that they can make the movies," Key said.
Key added that he'd already had discussions with one senior Warner executive, without giving details. But he said the tone of the discussions had been respectful.
Just to be safe, a reported 2,000 to 3,000 people gathered in the New Zealand capital city of Wellington to show their support for the movie, while other cities such as Auckland and earthquake-ravaged Christchurch hosted similar rallies.
Oscar-winning technician Richard Taylor, whose Weta Workshop handled many of the special effects for "Lord of the Rings," told Wellington protesters he hoped "The Hobbit" would still be made in New Zealand.
Reports have suggested that Warner Bros. is considering locations in England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia and eastern Europe.
Taylor also read a letter from Jackson, thanking people for their support. "This is where Middle Earth was born and this is where it will stay," the letter read.
The project has already suffered a series of delays including the resignation of director Guillermo de Toro, who quit in May as the uncertain financial future of movie studio partner MGM put a question mark over the project.
"The Hobbit" is based on the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who lives in the land of Middle-earth that is filled with wizards, elves and other fantasy creatures. Bilbo goes on a quest to find treasure guarded by a dragon.
The book, first published in 1937, is the precursor to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy which also takes place in Middle-earth.
The "Rings" movie trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion at box offices worldwide with the final chapter, "Return of the King," sweeping the Academy Awards in 2003 by winning in all of the 11 categories in which it was nominated, including best film.