Hobbit battle continues
In the latest episode of a battle that is already more epic than Bilbo Baggins’ encounter with the dragon Smaug, Peter Jackson claims the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance doesn’t care about the damage to the film and NZ’s industry, that its demands are “in fact illegal” and the union needs to “stop playing games”.
In response, the New Zealand Actors’ Equity says Jackson’s comments are evidence of the need for “a calm meeting” between the organisation and the film’s producers.
This is a statment from WingNut Films:
An Australian trade union, the MEAA, has generated a world wide actor boycott on The Hobbit, to bolster their demand that producers on the film enter into collective bargaining with the NZ Equity/MEAA. The MEAA has now admitted that their collective bargaining proposal is in fact, illegal, under New Zealand law.
The MEAA strikes again! They’ve been shutting down movies for years, everything from student films to independent films and now it seems even major blockbusters.
All to secure themselves a bigger slice of someone else’s cheese. I’m glad the illegal nature of their actions is finally being highlighted.
Australia got sick of the smell their own nest so they decide to go and take a dump in New Zealands industry…sad..just sad…(And no I’m not a kiwi)
It is sad to see Peter Jackson manipulating the media so effectively to his own profit, this man made millions off Lord of the Rings and stands to make millions more off the Hobbit.
It is an embaressment that New Zealand actors are subject to terms and conditions far worse than their counterparts in Australia or the US and that their own (see NZ Equity’s involvement) attempts to redress this balance has been twisted into some NZ/Australian rivalry.
Do not be fooled by Peter’s scaremongering if NZ equity were such a “tiny group people who did not even bother to do their legal homework.” then why would it put the film at risk at all? Surely he could hire non-union
Furthermore, his reference to pay rates. Certainly SAG rates might be lower but as he mentions they include residuals that are excluded from NZ contracts. These residuals can be worth many thousands over the preceeding years, particularly on a successful film. So why create a “pot” of extra money instead of just paying residuals? Because he’ll get more money of course!!
Is The Hobbit really so poorly backed and lacking in funding that doing the right thing by NZ performers will kill the project? I think not!
Don’t let the cute beard fool you, Peter is acting in self-interest not the interests of the NZ actors.
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