Hobbit now facing union troubles
by Doc on Sep.27, 2010, under Movies
What should be a slam-dunk movie just can’t catch a break. With all of the MGM woes preventing a green light, now an Australian actor’s union with a unit in New Zealand is attempting to “do damage” according to producer/director Peter Jackson, saying the terms for the actors are below standard, and other large actor’s unions (including SAG and AFTRA) are supporting them by issuing alerts warning their memberships not to accept work on the film. What may be at issue is whether it is legal for the studio to actually negotiate with them, given the tangled web of labour laws in New Zealand.
Update 9/28: Studios are now chiming in with support for Jackson.