The Hobbit is finally on top of Fortune’s Wheel. It’s hard to believe after so many months of mopey speculation, but there is actually a real production going on. A real film production with a green light, a director, and the beginnings of a cast.
But would it have a location? That’s been the question on everyone’s mind these past weeks, as The Hobbit became embroiled in labor union boycotts. New Zealand was perilously close to losing the production, prompting Kiwis to take to the streets this week to champion their right to Middle Earth. There has been an astonishing show of support for The Hobbit and WETA this week, and if you check out TheOneRing.net, they’ve got loads of video showing the rallies that have taken place.
And it worked! The Hobbit will be filming in New Zealand! NZ Prime Minister John Key announced in a press conference that the government would give Warner Bros a rebate of up to $15 million, and will offset up to $10 million of Warner Bros’ marketing costs. The NZ government will also introduce legislation to “broaden the criteria for its large budget incentive program” and clarify the employment status of film industry workers. Key refused to offer any specifics on this legislation, saying it was a commercial secret for the studio. But he was confident that the winner was New Zealand, not Hollywood. “Making the two movies here will not only safe guard work for thousands of New Zealanders but will also allow us to follow the success of the Lord of The Rings trilogy and once again promoting New Zealand on the world stage.”
The amount of good news being thrown at this production is really astonishing. I may even be happier about this news than the casting of Martin Freeman. The scenery in the LOTR trilogy was breathtaking, and made the landscape as much of a vital character as any of the Fellowship. It’s good news for the production, the cast, and the country of New Zealand. (I hope some locals will pitch in their take on this in the comments and forums.) I’m glad for all involved that this has worked out so well.
Now bring on the rest of the casting! Who is going to be Bard the Bowman? Smaug’s voice? Bjorn? We need more news to maintain this high. Or some pipeweed….
[via The Hollywood Reporter and 3 News]
12 comments
Perfect! I'm so happy about all of this I can barely take it!
Why? New Zealand is full of Sheep, Earthquakes and funny sounding fuckwits. If it wasn't for LOTR and Peter Jackson, the rest of the world would still think New Zealand was a part of Australia.
basically the Hobbit and LOTR were tales sourced from European tales, written for an English audience (to re educate their forefathers tales).
new zealand is middle earth in the films alone, but the real middle earth has and always will be new york.
its like this…someone writes a book about the twin towers on 9-11, but it is cheaper to film in Toronto Candada. The film becomes huge and advertises tourism – 'see the sets! relive the magic!'…but at the end of the day, it aint NYC…its a film set….like the hobbit is in NZ trying to be Tokiens GB….and that fans, is a FACT
@#3: What, are you some kind of arse-burnt Aussie fuck-knuckle?
@#4: Wow, you make #3 look reasonable. Tolkien's GB no longer exists you fucking moron, that's kinda what the fucking books were ABOUT.
Was this ever in doubt? WB would have made a massive publicity blunder had they taken the production somewhere else. Along with the rebates they're getting, they are laughing all the way to the bank AND look like good guys to the fans. Folks are celebrating things that were pretty much inevitable from day 1 (the films being financed, Freeman being cast). Nothing wrong with that, but none of these things are surprising.
Hallelujah! Agreed, the scenery is perfect! NZ is Middle Earth. Seems like those Warner brothers squeezed what they could out of the situation though, those moguls sure don't miss an opportunity…
Never doubted it would happen.
#6 – no it wasn't really in doubt, Warners was just worried about some pissy actors making demands, and they probably used the situation to get a better deal knowing NZ would not want the production to go elsewhere.
To be honest it was kind of embarrassing while all this was going on. Living in NZ you're constantly bombarded with 'WE'RE RELEVANT' news (e.g. A small but 'integral' part of the miners rescue capsule was designed in NZ trumpeted the news). But all this brouhaha just showed what a tiny little country we are, struggling for first world status, 'pay attention to us please!'. Still, it will bring in the tourist bucks and I've always thought the ranges I live in the foothills of (the Tararuas) would make great misty mountains. I just wonder how much John Key has dropped the countrys trousers for WB and whether he'll have to do a similar thing for Fucks should they decide to threaten to film Avatar 2 and 3 somewhere else.
Any news yet on when filming will start, and if it will interfere with Martin Freeman shooting a second series of Sherlock?
Uh, no. There was a VERY real threat of WB pulling out of NZ. The Hobbit was already in a really tricky situation and Hollywood wants no more striking action fucking up their film productions. The Prime Minister had to promise to change law/legislation to get the commitment, the tax incentives were just sweeteners and quite mild in the end. Joe and Jane Cinema-goer would have given maybe one millionth of a fuck that that the shoot switched from NZ to Harry Potter's old studio. I'm sorry, but "Boy" and "Spartacus" aren't going to do anything for the local industry in the way that The Hobbit is. The Hobbit is your Triple A/5 Star Rating.
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