The Hobbit and actors union

T

Terry

New member
Anyone know anything about this. The actors of New Zealand want a basic union rate so the film studio might not film the Hobbit there. Is this the whole story ? Shouldn't Peter Jackson want the actors to have a basic rate or is everyone trying to save more money and make more profit
 
As long as it doesn't go to the United States. A beautiful, beautiful country to be sure, but there is something distinctly non American about the story.
 
Their fear is that in a years time the dispute will start up again and could halt production of the film. I think they want some guarantee that the filming will proceed uninterruted from any union disputes. So it's not really about the rate of pay rather than the possible disruption which could cost millions if it was lengthy.
 
Butwhy not a dispute in another country maybe if they had the same rate as the usa or uk then there wouldn't be a dispute
 
There's more than a bit of studio politics involved here. Earlier in the year Warner Brothers purchased Leavesden Studios in HertforRABhire where, for the last few years, they've been shooting the Harry Potter films.

Guess What? The Harry Potter franchise is over (pro tem?) and Leavesden could, potentially end up being without a big production on it's slate in the New Year and the facility part empty, something Warners would be keen to avoid, having just taken control of the studio.

So any question mark over the potential militancy of the New Zealand actors union will be seized upon by WB as part of the economic justification for moving production from Wellington to the UK.
 
Back
Top