'Hobbit' director rejects animal abuse claims
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E-mail CRI, November 28, 2012
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Poster of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", the first film in Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" trilogy [Photo: thehobbit.com] |
New Zealand director Peter Jackson hit out at animal rights protestors who had threatened to protest alleged cruelty on the set of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" ahead of the fantasy film's world premiere in Wellington on Wednesday.
At a televised press conference with stars of the film, Jackson rejected claims from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that two dozen animals, including horses, goats and sheep, were injured or killed in the making of the film in New Zealand.
Jackson described PETA's claims as "pretty pathetic," and said there was "no abuse, no mistreatment, absolutely none."
"You have got a very radical, political organization that has jumped on this and personally it's an insult to anyone who worked on the film," he said.
"We care about what we do, we care about all the animals," he said.
Many of the cast and crew have supported Jackson's denials of the allegations, and organizations including the American Humane Association and New Zealand's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have said they received no complaints of animal mistreatment during the film's making.
However, PETA has said it has evidence from around five crew members and it is planning a protest at the film's red carpet premiere with one of its members wearing a grim reaper costume and holding a sign saying: "The Hobbit: Unexpected Cruelty."
"It was an insult to the cast and crew that worked on this film," said Jackson.
"We made a film we're incredibly proud of and it will take more than that to spoil the event."
An estimated 100,000 people or more have begun flocking into central Wellington for the event later Wednesday, and hotels and motels have reported being booked out a month in advance.
"The Hobbit" is a trilogy, like "The Lord of the Rings" set that Jackson also made from 2001 to 2003.
"It hasn't really sunk in that it's done and I hope to get the real feeling after tonight's premiere," he said.
Also at the press conference were Australian stars Cate Blanchett, who plays the elf queen Galadriel, and Hugo Weaving, who plays the elf lord Elrond.
Australian comedian Barry Humphries, the film's Goblin king, joked that Jackson had done "an incredible thing."
"He has turned Wellington into the artistic capital of the Southern Hemisphere and that is no mean feat," said Humphries.
British star Martin Freeman, who plays the lead role of Bilbo Baggins, American actor Elijah Wood, who has a cameo as Frodo, the lead character in "The Lord of the Rings", Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield) also joined the line-up.
The New Zealand government has offered generous tax breaks to the filmmakers and invested heavily in the film and Hobbit-related tourism campaigns in the hope that it will promote the country in the way "The Lord of the Rings" did.
That trilogy garnered a total of 17 Oscars, exposed a worldwide audience to some of New Zealand's most stunning scenery, and left a tourist trail of film sets and locations.
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