Bilbo Baggins
Hobbits to take over Hogwarts?
October 22, 2010 at 3:02 PM ET
Cheeser
HPANA (via AFP)
the hobbit, leavesden studios, watford, movie production, new zealand
The Hobbit movies may be taking over Harry's old Hogwarts haunts, possibly moving production from New Zealand, where the original Lord of the Rings trilogy was made, to Leavesden Studios in Watford, UK, which was recently vacated by the Harry Potter crew:
In the latest chapter of the drama
that has embroiled efforts to bring The Hobbit to the silver screen, New Zealand's politician was even caught up in the saga:
New Zealand looks set to lose "The Hobbit" movies after a union row trashed the country's image with Hollywood studios, jeopardising its entire film industry, director Peter Jackson said Thursday.
In a move Prime Minister John Key described as a potential "tragedy" for New Zealand, Jackson said Warner Bros. executives would travel to the country next week and make arrangements to shift the production offshore.
Problems have dogged and delayed the project for years, yet it appeared all but certain Friday that the production would leave New Zealand:
[Peter] Jackson's wife and film-making partner Fran Walsh said the pair would attempt to keep the film in New Zealand but Warner appeared keen on using the Leavesden Studios near London, where the "Harry Potter" movies were filmed.
"They've got a huge studio that Harry Potter have vacated that they own and they say would be perfect for us," she told Radio NZ...
[Editor's Note: I couldn't help but embed the following video... it seemed appropriate.]