Sir Peter Jackson has hit out at criticism that his films pay actors low wages as an escalating dispute with the unions over The Hobbit movies threatens to jeopardise production in New Zealand.
Sir Peter, executive producer of The Hobbit, said today that a New Zealand actor in a small supporting role could expect to earn about $NZ5000 a week, higher than the Screen Actors' Guild of America's published rates of $NZ3800 per week.
"Over the last 10 years, the fees New Zealand actors have earned on WingNut Films (owned by Sir Peter) productions have been consistently fair and generous," he said in a statement.
The union, NZ Actors Equity, has said makers of the J R R Tolkien adaptation, which is being made in two parts, had refused to enter into a union-negotiated agreement and advised members not to accept work on the project because actors may be employed on inferior non-union contracts.
Sir Peter has accused the union of a power grab and warned that production of the two films could be moved from New Zealand to Eastern Europe.
"Warner Brothers gave us an opportunity to set the film up in New Zealand and we have been unable to do that successfully.
"The situation is bordering on farce... It would be laughable, if there weren't so much at stake. But there is nothing funny about people losing their jobs and the crippling effect that losing The Hobbit is going to have on our film industry," he said.
