Lord of the Rings Special Effects Company Weta Digital Launches Inquiry into Toxic Workplace Claims
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Lord of the Rings special effects company Weta Digital launches inquiry into toxic workplace claims:
Weta Digital, the special effects company behind the orcs, dragons and battle scenes of the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, has launched an independent investigation into allegations of a toxic work culture including sexism, bullying and pornography being shared on its intranet.
The investigation was ordered by the company's majority owners, who include the director Peter Jackson, his wife, Fran Welsh, and screenwriter Phillipa Boyens. It followed a months-long investigation by local television station TVNZ that found complaints had been ignored by senior management at Weta Digital, and long-standing issues raised by staff had been covered up.
"The world's most beautiful toxic waste dump," is how one former employee described the award-winning company.
Allegations from former staffers include sexism, bullying, and harassment, as well as "pornographic mailing lists'", hosted on Weta Digital's intranet, in addition to staff openly viewing pornography in the studio.
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