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Sylvester McCoy to play Radagast the Brown
Sylvester McCoy has revealed that he has been cast as Radagast the Brown in the forthcoming movies of The Hobbit. However, although he has won the role he has yet to sign contracts for it. You can read more here.
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New Zealand fights to save The Hobbit
Stuff.co.uk report that thousands of New Zealanders will rally today to try to keep filming of The Hobbit in their country. Executives from Warner Brothers are expected to arrive shortly to meet with Peter Jackson to make a final decision on where the movies will be filmed.
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Hobbit disputes lead to fall in the New Zealand Dollar
Stuff.co.nz report that a fall in the New Zealand dollar can be partly attributed to the threat of losing the $500 million production of The Hobbit.
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Mark Hadlow talks about The Hobbit
In this interview at Radionz.co.nz, Mark Hadlow, the New Zealand actor who has been cast as Dori the dwarf, talks about the forthcoming movies and his views on the union disputes. He states that it will be a “real tragedy” if the movies are not shot in New Zealand.
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Peter Jackson speaks out
You can watch a video at Tvnz.co.nz in which Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens speak out about the ongoing union problems surrounding The Hobbit. PJ reveals that Warner Brothers are visiting on Monday. There are also interviews with Helen Kelly, president of the Council of Trade Unions, who feels that it is a “simple union…
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New Zealand Prime Minister in fight to save The Hobbit
John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, thinks that they should not write off New Zealand’s chances of keeping The Hobbit movies. He has fears that if Warner Brothers pull out then other film companies will follow. “There’s work to be done and the Government hasn’t given up trying to do its best to secure…
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Could The Hobbit be coming to London?
Stuff.co.nz report that if The Hobbit is to be filmed outside New Zealand then the new home for the films may well be Leavesden Film Studios in London. Fran Walsh has said that there were “strong hints” that Warner wish to relocate to London. “They’ve got a huge studio that Harry Potter have vacated that…
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Further news on the union dispute
Helen Kelly, president of the Council of Trade Unions has stated that if The Hobbit is taken offshore; “…it’s not the actors’ fault, because the dispute could easily have been resolved” and she claims that the reason for moving the movie offshore is; “because it can make more money overseas, through different economic levers like…
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Filming of The Hobbit set to move from New Zealand
Nzherald.co.nz report that preparations are being made to move filing of The Hobbit away from New Zealand. In a statement Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh said; “Next week Warner’s are coming down to NZ to make arrangements to move the production off-shore. It appears we now cannot make films in our own country – even…
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Marching for The Hobbit
Radio New Zealand report that up to 1500 people from New Zealand’s film industry have been marching in Wellington today. Chanting “save Middle Earth” the workers are concerned that filming will not take place in New Zealand due to a dispute between Peter Jackson’s company and the actor’s union Equity.
