Things just keep getting better for The Hobbit. Or not.
While it had seemed that the picture was getting back on track with Peter Jackson taking over the director's role and MGM showing signs of sorting out their financial difficulties, the film has just been dealt a major blow. The Screen Actors Guild - along with several smaller unions - have issued a Do Not Work order for its members, meaning no member of SAG or any of the other participating unions will be able to work on the picture without facing repercussions from the union. Which means unless this is resolved you won't be seeing any familiar faces in the film.
The dispute revolves around the producers' refusal to sign on a union agreement for the film while offering actors deals that include residual levels well below the union norm. Yes, union squabbling is boring but this is potentially an enormous issue when it comes to casting the upcoming blockbuster.
While it had seemed that the picture was getting back on track with Peter Jackson taking over the director's role and MGM showing signs of sorting out their financial difficulties, the film has just been dealt a major blow. The Screen Actors Guild - along with several smaller unions - have issued a Do Not Work order for its members, meaning no member of SAG or any of the other participating unions will be able to work on the picture without facing repercussions from the union. Which means unless this is resolved you won't be seeing any familiar faces in the film.
The dispute revolves around the producers' refusal to sign on a union agreement for the film while offering actors deals that include residual levels well below the union norm. Yes, union squabbling is boring but this is potentially an enormous issue when it comes to casting the upcoming blockbuster.
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- News: Peter Jackson Probably Heading Back To Middle Earth ...
- News: Guillermo Del Toro Quits THE HOBBIT
Good. After the colossal failure of The Lovely Bones, Peter needed to return to the goose that laid his golden egg, LOTR. He demanded they get rid of Del Toro, who already had everything ready to go for The Hobbit, including locations, designs, props, script, etc. so he could bring his bank account back up. Sad all the way around for everyone.
All the dirty secrets Hollywood keeps hidden. I don't divulge my sources, but the source is very close to Guillermo. I don't think you move your family to another country for over a year if you're not completely committed to a project. And we need to stop blaming every misstep MGM makes on it's money problems and start looking at the complete ineptness of the executives there. I'm just saying.
Be that as it may, Peter demanding "they" get rid off Guillermo still sounds daft. Who are "they"? MGM? If there was one party in this story who would choose Jackson over del Toro any day for this project it's them!
As for MGM mismanagement, I'm no insider but how do you mess up such a successful restart of the Bond franchise? Loved the first two Craig Bonds (admittedly the first more than the second) and have been eagerly awaiting a third for years now. If there is one title you'd expect MGM to be able to show to the banks and say "Hey guys, lets talk about getting this on the road quickly so we can all make plenty bucks again..." it would be a third "new" Bond.
Sorry, didn't post the previous post this twice, internet error. Peter wanted back on LOTR and the execs are too upside down to respond in an intelligent way. Any way you cut it, De Toro is out and it wasn't by choice.
As for Bond, another prime example of execs fondling around in the dark for something they have no idea about and thus killing a hot franchise.
Film is an amazing medium, nothing else comes close, but it's these damn execs who get their jobs from knowing/blowing people and have no idea about real filmmaking. Ugh!
I'd like to see PJ's "Hobbit" before I die. I can't say SAG is wrong even though they'll still get an exorbitant amount of loot (resid) because the film is almost guaranteed world wide success. Just more delaying bullshit.