New Zealand Prime Minister John Key made a lot of noise insisting that New Zealand wasn't going to engage in a bidding war to convince Warner Brothers to keep production of the The Hobbit in the country. Apparently by this he meant that the nation intended to simply hand the keys to the entire Kiwi film industry over to the company instead.
So, yes, The Hobbit will shoot in New Zealand. But how are Peter Jackson and the protesting masses going to feel about the terms that were agreed to to keep it there.
First there is the money. The New Zealand government have agreed to 'broaden' the terms of the government support scheme for high budget films, a move that should put an extra fifteen million dollars into Warner Brothers pockets for shooting there. That's fifteen million above what the already generous existing program would pay. And, bizarrely, the government is refusing to say exactly what this 'broadening' entails, saying that the changes in criteria are a "commercial secret" apparently available only to Warner Brothers. Read: This is not actually a change to the subsidy program but a one time payoff.
In addition to the fifteen million dollar payment New Zealand is also paying ten million dollars towards Warner Brothers' marketing costs of the film, justifying the payment as part of a "long term strategic partnership" to promote New Zealand as a tourist destination. So in terms of cash out of pocket, the government is paying an additional twenty five million dollars on top of the previously existing subsidies.
But where things get flat out ugly is in the non-financial part of the deal. Key has agreed to introduce new legislation to the New Zealand parliament, legislation expected to effectively block the possibility of the film industry in New Zealand unionizing. Yes, Warner Brothers is now dictating New Zealand labor policy and the government is playing along. This, to put it mildly, is distasteful in the extreme - both that Warners would have the nerve to ask it and that the government would allow a foreign corporation to dictate internal policy for profit. In a string of ugly, ill advised moves surrounding The Hobbit, this strikes me as the worst.
So, yes, The Hobbit will shoot in New Zealand. But how are Peter Jackson and the protesting masses going to feel about the terms that were agreed to to keep it there.
First there is the money. The New Zealand government have agreed to 'broaden' the terms of the government support scheme for high budget films, a move that should put an extra fifteen million dollars into Warner Brothers pockets for shooting there. That's fifteen million above what the already generous existing program would pay. And, bizarrely, the government is refusing to say exactly what this 'broadening' entails, saying that the changes in criteria are a "commercial secret" apparently available only to Warner Brothers. Read: This is not actually a change to the subsidy program but a one time payoff.
In addition to the fifteen million dollar payment New Zealand is also paying ten million dollars towards Warner Brothers' marketing costs of the film, justifying the payment as part of a "long term strategic partnership" to promote New Zealand as a tourist destination. So in terms of cash out of pocket, the government is paying an additional twenty five million dollars on top of the previously existing subsidies.
But where things get flat out ugly is in the non-financial part of the deal. Key has agreed to introduce new legislation to the New Zealand parliament, legislation expected to effectively block the possibility of the film industry in New Zealand unionizing. Yes, Warner Brothers is now dictating New Zealand labor policy and the government is playing along. This, to put it mildly, is distasteful in the extreme - both that Warners would have the nerve to ask it and that the government would allow a foreign corporation to dictate internal policy for profit. In a string of ugly, ill advised moves surrounding The Hobbit, this strikes me as the worst.
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Couple that with the fact that there is little artistic reason for bother with THE HOBBIT, as things were done well (and properly) with LORD OF THE RINGS. This has always smacked as lucre, lucre, lucre, and this is just more of the same, broadening into politics and labour. Oh my.
Disgusting, and probably very likely annoying enough (coupled with 3D bullshit and taking a short book and blowing it up to 2 films! Profiteering at its finest, WB!) that I'm not going to bother to see these films when they come out.
It will be a serious enough compromise to take the light and sing-song nature of the HOBBIT and very likely (my speculation anyway) graft it into the more serious and ominous aesthetic laid out by the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The books are radically different in tone, but don't expect that for the Hobbit Vs. Rings....
No artistic reason to make the Hobbit?! Come on Kurt, a lot of people hold it in much higher esteem than LoTR. It's set in the same world but its a different story, people want to see more of Middle Earth. It's not often you get a golden opportunity like this, a sequel or prequel to a fantasy film that worked very well. And that is at the same time possible to improve on: hopefully they stick a bit closer to the book this time and reign in Jackson's passion for over the top action moments.
But about those Warner siblings I couldn't agree more, that is sick. I understand they need a certain financial guarantee that their production wont be disrupted by idiots (or maybe paid agents) like that female doubletalking labour leader. But to squeeze money out of them and maybe even hobble the unions completely, that is gross. The price might be worth it in the end, NZ will get amazing exposure, their film business will be vitalized, and we get a perfect Middle Earth.
"This, to put it mildly, is distasteful in the extreme - both that Warners would have the nerve to ask it and that the government would allow a foreign corporation to dictate internal policy for profit."
Why should Warner Bros. act any differently than any other enormous American company? Sure, it's disgusting, but it's entirely predictable.
Whoa. Pretty miserable. But I'd be hard pressed to call WB an American company anymore. They are truly a worldwide conglomerate and have offices in every corner of the globe and obviously have the power to sway governments. It just seems odd New Zealand is so desperate for cash on something that has no guarantee of success. But like an gamble, it could pay off big time!
What a terrible piece of slanted reporting.
First of all, this is a pretty standard rebate (REBATE, not as if New Zealand is giving Warners money out of the coffers) compared to the Ireland and England offers.
Additionally, the law around defining Contractors and Employees in New Zealand is terrifyingly vague at the moment. I.e. if you are a Contractor, with a contract that says as much, you can take the company employing you to court and have Employee status (with the rights and benefits thereof) retroactively given to you if you convince a judge the company treated you like an employee.
You know. By having you turn up at work every day. And providing you the tools to do your job.
This law desperately needed cleaning up, National was itching for a chance to do so anyway, and to claim that this is the country 'selling it's soul' is a slanted piece of sensationalist reporting existing purely to ... uh ... generate pageviews and comments.
So ... good job I guess? You got me.
What a load of shit Bruce speaks. He, like the NZ government, Peter Jackson and those that demonstrated (over a film, rather than worker legislation which inevitably will be broadened out beyond the film industry) tries to paint in some bizarre nationalistic terms where the country wins but the people involved in the dispute are absolutely shafted.
Yes, New Zealand stands to win, if by New Zealand you mean film executives, the government which has now set a precedent and film directors prone to temper tantrums when they don't get their way like Peter Jackson. Those who actually make these things happen, you know those insignificant thousands involved in film productions, now only have to like it or lump it.
Because what Bruce doesn't mention when talking about contractors, is that as the name suggests, they are very temporary staff with none of the perks you'd have as a permanent worker. That means no sick pay, no cancellation pay for when the contract is terminated, no holiday leave, etc etc. Rightfully, people have challenged it in the past and won through the courts, like James Bryson, who worked for WETA and was sacked. But thanks to the legislation, this is no longer possible. Win win indeed!
This is an article from a group in New Zealand written which explains the reality of the situation.
http://libcom.org/news/behind-spectacle-hobbit-30092010
As an aside, it's slightly parochial and naive to suggest that the problem is an American company abroad at work here. It would make no difference if the company in question was from New Zealand too. This is par for the course for companies the world over. And lets hope those who find themselves affected by this new law agree with you Bruce regarding the dole's adequecy.