An Otago University employment law specialist has criticised the Government's suggestion law changes could be made to suit the producers of The Hobbit movies.
A Queenstown film technician has dismissed criticisms of the Government's $34 million tax write-off deal with The Hobbit producers Warner Brothers, saying the bargain has made New Zealand's film industry "stronger than ever".
It is unusual for governments and political figureheads to involve themselves in direct negotiations with companies or international organisations and, effectively, to be seen as "touting for business".
Filmmakers Sir Peter Jackson and his wife Fran Walsh have welcomed the decision that The Hobbit films will be shot in New Zealand and said public support made all the difference.
There is widespread relief that production of The Hobbit movies will stay in New Zealand, but Prime Minister John Key is copping both praise and criticism for the concessions given to United States film studio Warner Bros.
Prime Minister John Key has left a second day of crisis talks with movie studio executives with no indication of whether The Hobbit films will stay in New Zealand.
Sir Peter Jackson has rejected a union statement that it was only seeking a meeting to discuss contract terms for actors on The Hobbit, saying the union had decided to boycott the films before he was told it wanted to meet.
A Facebook page urging the US financial backers of the Hobbit movies to keep the filming in New Zealand has been partially restored, but the organiser is still fuming that supporters could still be lost.
Prime Minister John Key and senior cabinet ministers and officials will meet representatives of US film company Warner Bros this afternoon to thrash out details aimed at securing filming of The Hobbit in New Zealand.
Under the impromptu banner "Queenstown for Peter Jackson", about 20 film, tourism and theatre lobbyists gathered on the resort's village green yesterday to rally support to keep threatened multimillion-dollar production The Hobbit in New Zealand.
The Government has brushed off suggestions a high New Zealand dollar against the United State greenback might be luring the Hobbit's filmmakers away from this country.
The Australian unionist blamed for potentially derailing filming of The Hobbit movies in New Zealand says he has assured the producers there will be no industrial action against the film.
As New Zealand's future as the location for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit films teeters in the balance, Debbie Porteous and Naeem Alvi look at what the film industry is worth to Otago and ask local film and tourism figures how the films' departure would affect the region.
When union heads Simon Whipp, Frances Walsh and actor Robyn Malcolm emerged from a restaurant about midnight on Wednesday, a group of Wellington film workers were waiting for them.
Dark forces are afoot in the shires of Middle Earth and suddenly Hobbitsia Zealandiensis is an endangered species.
Sir Peter Jackson will not meet the New Zealand Actors Equity union to resolve a dispute over employment terms for actors in his adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien book The Hobbit, a spokesman at his Wingnut Films company says.
American movie director James Cameron advised Guillermo del Toro not to direct The Hobbit because of New Zealand producer Sir Peter Jackson's strong links to the franchise.
Director Guillermo del Toro's problems with the twin movies of The Hobbit hardened up last month with increased uncertainty over the future of MGM, the Hollywood studio backing the venture.