New Zealand unions and filmmakers reported "productive" talks Thursday on a row threatening Peter Jackson’s "Hobbit" movies, but would not say if a global boycott of the film had been lifted.
International actors’ unions slapped the ban on the production after Jackson refused to negotiate with NZ Actors Equity over minimum standards on the set, prompting the director to threaten to move the shoot from New Zealand.
At a meeting Thursday arranged by the New Zealand government, the Screen Production and Development Association, NZ Actors Equity and the Council of Trade Unions attempted to break the impasse.
"It was a useful and productive discussion," they said in a joint statement issued after the talks.
"The parties have agreed to work together to update the conditions of engagement for performers in the New Zealand screen production industry."
All sides refused further comment, except to say the process would help ensure New Zealand remained an attractive film production environment, refusing to say whether the boycott that angered Jackson still stands.
The ban, supported by the International Federation of Actors and the influential US Screen Actors Guild, urges members not to work on "The Hobbit" until an agreement is reached.
Jackson has accused unions of "bully boy" tactics, sparking allegations from actors that workers on his sets are being short-changed.
The Hollywood studios backing Jackson have said they are scouting alternative locations because of the dispute, with Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia and eastern Europe all potentially in the frame.
Prime Minister John Key said this week that he was keen for New Zealand, which provided a stunning backdrop to Jackson’s Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, to host shooting for "The Hobbit."
The production, a two-part prequel to "Lord of the Rings", has already been delayed by financial woes at studio MGM, prompting director Guillermo del Toro to quit the project in May.
