At least half a dozen countries, including Australia, are lobbying to win the right to film The Hobbit and Hollywood accountants are now doing the numbers of rival offers, the movie's co-producer and co-writer Phillipa Boyens says.



The $US150 million Sir Peter Jackson blockbuster has been mired in an industrial dispute in recent weeks, following complaints from a group of international labour unions over poor on-set working conditions for actors.



Jackson, who strenuously denies the claims, has accused the Australian-based Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance of bullying to gain control over the production, which he says may be forced out of New Zealand.



Boyens told New Zealand's National Radio's Nine to Noon programme the movie was ready to begin filming in January but has now been thrown in turmoil by the actors' boycott.



She said New Zealand Actors' Equity seemed to believe the whole thing was a bluff.



"I am concerned over some of the statements made... by New Zealand Equity that there is still a misunderstanding on the seriousness of what is involved here and what is at stake," she said.



"That is very real and that has put at risk the livelihood of countless thousand New Zealand industry workers," she said.



Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Eastern European countries had entered the negotiations in a "feeding frenzy" inspired by the threat of union action.



"Get this, Australia, (is) making a huge play for this production," Ms Boyens said.



She said Jackson had been given, as a courtesy, the opportunity to set-up The Hobbit in New Zealand.



Now with the boycott threat and rival offers, the movie backers have asked for the opportunity to check the new numbers.



Some of offers, which come with big government rebates, would involve tens of millions of dollars in savings if the production moved elsewhere.



The threat of union unrest had made studio Warner Brothers uneasy and it had asked Jackson for the opportunity to "run the numbers".



The employment of thousands of New Zealanders had been put in jeopardy. Actors should have begun work a fortnight ago, she said.



Ms Boyens said it was a lie to say The Hobbit was a non-union production.



The problem was that New Zealand actors were independent contractors.



"When this demand was made by overseas unions, instituted quite cynically by the Australian (MEAA) union, and not in consultation with New Zealand actors... I was gobsmacked."



The Australian union made the decision without talking to New Zealand counterparts.



"They never took a vote, they went for industrial action, they pushed the nuclear bomb, without a vote being taken by New Zealand actors," she said.



"A lot of damage has been done to New Zealand's reputation."



She said Jackson had been characterised as an anti-union man.



"This is just appalling. He offers his actors some of the best working conditions and always had done that."



GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO STEP IN



Meanwhile, New Zealand Government ministers are happy to play a facilitation role between actors and Jackson to resolve their dispute over work on The Hobbit, Prime Minister John Key says.



Progress over the weekend appears to have diffused tensions which have seen Jackson warn his Hobbit production could be moved to another country.



Mr Key told Breakfast on TV One today that there had been "tentative discussions" with ministers, including Minister for Economic Development Gerry Brownlee.



"We are happy to facilitate, play a facilitation role between the two parties if we need to. I understand they are making some progress so hopefully they can get it resolved. But I would be very, very concerned if it moved offshore."



Mr Key said there may be a wider argument to be had but The Hobbit production should not be held to ransom.



"I would be greatly concerned if The Hobbit movies weren't made in New Zealand, this a $3 billion industry, it employs a lot of people, it's great for New Zealand it's a great way for marketing New Zealand. If you can't make the Hobbit here frankly what movies are you going to make here?"



The New Zealand Actors' Equity union yesterday said it was "hopeful" the spat could be resolved.



That followed a Hollywood press report that the dispute over terms and conditions on the planned Hobbit film was close to being sorted out.



"We remain hopeful that a resolution can be reached," Equity organiser Frances Walsh said when asked to confirm the report, in the Los Angeles Times.



Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly also declined to confirm the report but had met Jackson and his film-maker wife, Fran Walsh, on Friday in an attempt to resolve the dispute over better employment terms and conditions for actors on his planned two-part adaptation of the JRR Tolkien book.



"We are hopeful that a meaningful dialogue between (Actors') Equity, Spada (the Screen Production and Development Association) and Three Foot Seven (Sir Peter's company) can be established."



Actors' Equity has been trying to meet the film's producers but has until now been rebuffed by Jackson, who said through a spokesman on Friday that The Hobbit could not set a precedent that would affect everyone else in the New Zealand film industry.



Jackson has warned the film could be taken to Eastern Europe, accusing the MEAA, which is backing the NZ union, of "bullyboy" tactics after its call for actors worldwide to boycott The Hobbit.



But the LA Times has reported that the dispute was "close to being resolved", citing anonymous sources which say production could begin as early as January for a 2012 release.



Spada has said a collective agreement sought by the union was illegal as the actors were taken on as independent contractors rather than as employees.



SOURCE: Stuff.co.nz