WALLYWOOD: A Facebook group thinks "Wellywood" sign is a bad idea. IMAGE: Dominion Post
NEARLY 10,000 people have joined a Facebook group opposing plans to erect a “Wellywood” sign in Miramar.
The Wellington City Council and the Wellington Airport are considering building a 28-metre-long Wellywood sign on the hill next to the Miramar Cutting.
The controversial plans to erect the sign has prompted more than 9000 people to join the Facebook group “Hey, let’s not have a Wellywood sign in Wellington”.
The creator of the group, Anthony Lander (left), says the idea is not cool, creative or original.
“I don’t think the Hollywood Trust will be too pleased about someone stealing their idea either,” he says. “It sounds like someone suggested it as a joke, and then took the joke too far by thinking it would be a good idea to actually make it.”
Mr Lander has since put up an e-petition on the Wellington City Council’s website and expects it will soon be available for the public to sign.
He says that he did not expect his Facebook group to become so popular.
“I started it on Tuesday morning after I saw the article on the front page of the Dominion Post. Five hours later there were 250 people in the group. It reached 1000 later that evening – I only wished my band was this popular.”
Some of the comments read:
“So original New Zealand, let’s also copy America’s gun laws.”
“Wellywood? Seriously? Not even Wellington? We’ve made what, like five famous movies? I don’t think that gives us Hollywood status….”
“That sign is so tacky and stupid. I don’t want that crap in my city. Why don’t we use our Kiwi ingenuity and come up with something original.”
Many others have vowed to have the sign vandalized if it is constructed.
Mayoral candidate Jack Yan is so fired up by the proposal that he emailed the Hollywood Trust, the organisation who owns the copyright of the iconic Hollywood sign, and expects that the Trust’s lawyers will be involved.
“A lot of people aren’t happy with what I did, some people believe that I’ve dobbed them into the man,” he says.
He believes that the council should have been more transparent about how they dealt with the proposal.
“I didn’t know about it till it was on the front page of the Dominion Post.”
He also posted on the wall of the group that he is almost tempted to make it an official mayoral campaign promise to fight the proposed structure.
Wellington Airport CEO Steve Fitzgerald said in a statement: “The sign will help cement Wellywood’s place as an international tourism landmark, increasing both visitation and number of visitor nights in the capital.”
Mainzeal and Beca will begin construction of the sign offsite, with final installation expected in June.
