Well we did it!

The Hobbit will be filmed in New Zealand!

John Key announced last night that there would be a small adjustment to NZ employment law that would clarify the position of independent contractors in the film industry here - separating them clearly from 'employees' and preventing them from challenging that title if they'd been hired as contractors etc. This has effectively calmed whatever 'industrial uncertainties' Warners' felt could potentially affect film production here in the future and an agreement was signed, letting the project go ahead.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/entertainment/4279251/The-Hobbit-gets-NZ-film-shoot

I felt pretty optimistic that it would for a number of reasons including this one:

-j

Keep The Hobbit filming in NZ

Well,

things have certainly been quiet here. Except for all that noise and ruckus around the filming of The Hobbit here. I won't try to sum-up what's going on as it is rather multi-layered and messy but... this article outlines what so far seems to be 'first blood' on the whole matter:

http://www.onfilm.co.nz/

I did go rioting marching in the streets though, that was important and useful it seems in that we managed to block the Wellington attendance of the NZ Actor's Equity meeting where Simon Whipp from the MEAA was supposed to be attending. This also had the fortunate knock-on effect of canning the Auckland meeting due to potential protests being organised. Weeeeeeeee!!!

And I think that it's a positive sign that Warners haven't totally ruled out shooting the production here yet... I think in fact they stand to profit more from shooting here in NZ than the amount that might have been trimmed of the government tax incentives etc... 

-j