The Hobbit union scrum could get government mediation
by Doc on Oct.04, 2010, under Movies
So, the ruckus between an Australian actor’s union operating in New Zealand and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit production, which resulted in “alerts” from other major acting unions to their membership to avoid the production, has drawn the attention of New Zealand’s prime minister, and is offering to have government officials mediate. Prime Minster John Key is concerned about the potential impact to the NZ film industry if the production moves elsewhere, likely to Eastern Europe. “If you can’t make ‘The Hobbit’ here, frankly, what movies are you going to make here?” he said.