MEAA, SAG, AFTRA Issue Alert Against 'Non-Union' The Hobbit

by NowPublic Staff | September 27, 2010 at 02:18 pm

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Actors Union, Media Arts Alliance (MEAA), SAG, AFTRA Warn Actors Against The Hobbit - Film Maker Sir Peter Jackson Issues Vigorous Defense Statement

A battle is brewing in New Zealand between various international actors guilds and unions spearheaded by Sir Peter Jackson who is gearing up to make a film version of The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien.

Sir Peter Jackson Statement On Actors Guild And Hobbit Dispute (transcript)

The MEAA says it has tried unsuccessfully to meet with the producers of The Hobbit.

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) - an Australian-based union allied with Actors Equity - is urging actors worldwide to boycott working on the film until the producers enter a collective bargaining agreement.

Actors Equity says the organisation has no interest in jeopardising the production but wants to know that local actors working on The Hobbit will have fair contracts.

Sir Peter Jackson in a blistering response says he may now have to move the The Hobbit to Europe. Jackson issued a statement published by The Hollywood Reporter writing, The Hobbit is a "big, fat juicy target," that the guilds and actors unions are using the film to build their own membership. Jackson says all the contracts with actors meet SAG (Screen Actors Guild) requirements and even have profit sharing.

Jackson says the Australian based MEAA is leveraging the smaller, more pliable New Zealand actors guild for its membership and expansion goals and is not really considering the fate of the vast majority of New Zealand actors who are non-guild members.

My personal opinion is that this is a grab for power. It does not represent a problem that needs a solution. There will always be differing opinions when it comes down to work and conditions, but I have always attempted to treat my actors and crew with fairness and respect. We have created a very favorable profit sharing pool for the non-Union actors on The Hobbit -- and now the Union is targeting us, despite the fact that we have always respected SAG conditions and residuals.

I can't see beyond the ugly spectre of an Australian bully-boy, using what he perceives as his weak Kiwi cousins to gain a foothold in this country's film industry. They want greater membership, since they get to increase their bank balance.

The conspiracy theories are numerous, so take your pick: We have done better in recent years, with attracting overseas movies -- and the Australians would like a greater slice of the pie, which begins with them using The Hobbit to gain control of our film industry. There is a twisted logic to seeing NZ humiliated on the world stage, by losing the Hobbit to Eastern Europe. Warners would take a financial hit that would cause other studios to steer clear of New Zealand.

-- Seriously, if the Hobbit goes east (Eastern Europe in fact) -- look forward to a long dry big budget movie drought in this country.