Model Maker Sues Lord of the Rings Makers  7/8/05

A New Zealand court ruled this week (begs04JUL05) that a man who built models for The Lord of the Rings trilogy can sue for unfair dismissal.

The Supreme Court decided James Bryson was a permanent employee of the Three Foot Six production company, responsible for the fantasy adventure movies, rather than a self-employed contractor.

Bryson intends to sue following his redundancy towards the end of filming for the Oscar-winning movies when the models unit was significantly downsized.

The outcome of the proposed legal battle could have significant repercussions for New Zealand's film industry, because it has a history of privately contracting local workers which keeps costs down and makes the country an attractive location for foreign productions.