A starving Kiwi actor searches for food.

Peter Jackson’s announcement of a fourth Lord of the Rings film, in the form of the prequel story The Hobbit, got LOTR fans in a frenzy.  Now, Peter Jackson’s choice to film in New Zealand has actors in a frenzy, as seven major acting unions have banded together to tell their membership not to participate in the filming of The Hobbit.  At issue is the fact that Jackson’s film is a non-union film, and New Zealand’s woeful status internationally as a place where actors don’t make a good amount of money.  Hence, the perfect storm of things for people to complain about.

The film is supposed to start shooting in 2011, but not until Jackson goes to the seven complaining unions (or their parent, the IFA or International Federation of Actors) to negotiate agreements with the unions to get actors on the picture.  I’d imagine some actors would be willing to cross the picket line, if it comes to that, but probably not the ones Jackson has his eye on for his movie.  Director Guillermo Del Toro has already dropped out of the project, citing the lengthy delays in filming.  The Hobbit might be as doomed as Minas Tirith.

Tags: The Hobbit, Peter Jackson, Screen Actors Guild, International Federation of Actors, IFA, unions telling members not to work on The Hobbit, Hollywood, controversies, unions, New Zealand

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