With the success of Lord of the Rings earlier this decade, Wellington, New Zealand has become a center for filmmaking.
To mark this – town planners are attempting to erect a sign that says ‘Wellywood’ after the iconic sign in Hollywood.
Hollywood is not amused.
According to the New York Times:
Plans to erect a “Wellywood” sign mimicking the Hollywood sign in Wellington, New Zealand — part of an effort to promote that city’s growing film industry — have riled Hollywood insiders.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which holds the trademark to the sign, insists that Wellington Airport needs permission to use the image and is threatening legal action.
“Over the years, we’ve been contacted by a lot of people who want to mimic the sign,” Leron Gubler, president of the chamber, said. “We usually tell them, ‘Do something of your own.’ ”
Citizens of Wellington aren’t interested either – nearly 25,000 have signed a Facebook petition to stop it!