Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) and TVNZ, New Zealand's leading television and digital media company, have signed a multi-year output deal giving the commercial broadcaster the free television rights to a huge slate of feature films, scripted and unscripted television series, animation, mini-series, television movies and more.

The deal was announced by Jeff Latch, Head of TV ONE and TV2 at TVNZ, and Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television…

New Line, Warner Bros and MGM are pleased to have concluded successful discussions with the New Zealand government this past week. We’d like to thank Prime Minister Key, his Cabinet and the other dedicated New Zealand officials for their support and cooperation, which helped assuage our concerns and enabled us to keep The Hobbit in its proper home of New Zealand.

Filmmakers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh stated today, “We are grateful to the Government for introducing legislation which shall give everyone in the film industry certainty as to their employment status. This clarification will provide much needed stability and reassurance for film workers as well as investors from within New Zealand and overseas.”

The clarification of the law relating to the contractor status of film workers will be a welcome move to give more certainty to production companies, said SPADA Chief Executive Penelope Borland. Most workers engaged by screen production companies in the New Zealand film industry had indicated they were reasonably happy with being engaged as contractors, with the advantages that brings in terms of expenses and taxation in New Zealand and it certainly makes sense for production companies who largely work on a project to project basis.

On the day Warner Bros execs arrived in NZ to reportedly make the final decision about where the Lord Of The Rings prequels would be filmed, rallies organised in order to illustrate the desire of New Zealanders for the two Hobbit films to remain in this country were held in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Queenstown, and Matamata.
At the Wellington event there were a number of speakers, including Richard Taylor, who read the following statement from Peter Jackson…

Helen Kelly, CTU President, said today that the industrial issues concerning the film industry were resolved at a meeting with SPADA last week.
“This established a path that guaranteed films commencing before 31st March next year would use the existing Pink Book and in that period a revised Pink Book would be agreed for subsequent films.”

Recent reports that the boycott of The Hobbit was lifted by unions a number of days ago and that Warner Bros asked to delay this announcement are false.
It was not until last night that we received confirmation of the retractions from SAG, NZ Equity and AFTRA through press reports. We are still awaiting retractions from the other guilds.

“These films can be made here”, said the Council of Trade Unions’ Helen Kelly. “Following a meeting last week, which included Hon Gerry Brownlee, good progress is being made on developing an industry standard through improving the content and form of the current ‘Pink Book’.
“NZ Performers want the movie made here as much as anyone, but let’s get all the facts on the table about taxes, subsidies, and other issues – rather than just blaming the union for asking to meet on basic terms and conditions.”

TVNZ says renewing its output deal with Warner Bros, for what’s believed to be a hefty premium, will not affect commissioning of local shows.
Onfilm understands the broadcaster paid a record $30 million to renew the deal early, to maintain its supply of top-rating fare like Two and a Half Men, The Middle and The Mentalist.

Kiwi broadcasters are among the 1250 buyers in Los Angeles this week for a sneak peek of what they hope will be their next primetime titans.