Happy news for fans of The Hobbit and New Zealand: Warner Brothers has reportedly agreed to keep Peter Jackson's upcoming film version of J.R.R. Tolkein's iconic book in New Zealand, following in the footsteps of the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy.
According to the New York Times, filming of the two Hobbit movies, which is expected to start in February, had been threatened by a dispute over whether a New Zealand branch of an Australian union could engage in collective bargaining on the Hollywood films, which they have not been able to do in the past.
A New Zealand actors union, backed by a larger union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance of Australia, had demanded collective bargaining for work on the films, but both Warner and government officials contended that collective bargaining with actors was barred by New Zealand law.
Read more…
