In just over 50 days, Wellington will again be in the worldwide
spotlight when it hosts the 28 November world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
(MGM).
To celebrate Wellington’s role as host of this much anticipated world premiere,
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says Wellington will be calling itself The Middle of Middle-earth during the
week of the premiere.
“Wellington sits at the very heart of New Zealand’s innovative and
thriving film industry,” says Mayor Wade-Brown.
“It’s also the city that has been integral in bringing the fantasy world
of J.R.R. Tolkien to life on the big screen. So for a week around the premiere Wellington
will be known as The Middle of Middle-earth.”
The Middle of Middle-earth logo
was designed by Daniel Reeve, an artist who worked on the cartography and
calligraphy for The Hobbit Trilogy.
“I'm absolutely thrilled
that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will have its world premiere in the
Middle of Middle-earth,” says the film’s director Sir Peter Jackson.
“Nowhere else in
the world does a premiere quite like Wellington, and I'm very grateful for the
support of the Mayor, the Council and all Wellingtonians. It's special
showing any film to an audience for the first time, but even more so when it's
in your home town.”
Jackson will be joined by members of the film’s cast, as well as Hollywood
stars and executives on the red carpet for the VIP invitation-only world
premiere on the evening of 28 November.
“We’re delighted to take part in the Middle
of Middle-earth festivities with this exciting premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in
Wellington,” said Sue Kroll,
Warner Bros. Pictures’ President, Worldwide Marketing. “It’s a unique opportunity to debut the film
to the world in the country that has been the home of Middle-earth throughout
production of the Trilogy.”
Stars and VIPs will walk more than 500 metres of red carpet from Reading
Cinema to The Embassy Theatre, both of which will be screening the film for
invited guests on premiere night. The
event will be covered by press from around the world.
“Wellington has established a track record of holding stunning
world-class red carpet premieres and we’re confident the city will turn it on
again and show that we are indeed ‘the Coolest little Capital’ in the world,”
says Mayor Wade-Brown.
“Preparation for The Hobbit premiere is a terrific opportunity to tell
Wellington’s story too – the Coolest Little Capital where talent lives, works
and does great business.”
Wellington City Council will contribute $1.1 million to the premiere week
activities and towards ensuring Wellington is again looking its best under the
international spotlight.
Celebrations and
preparations for the World Premiere are already well underway, highlights
include:
- A ‘countdown clock’ to be installed on
the front of the Embassy Theatre. The clock will count down the minutes to
the beginning of the Premiere celebrations.
- Stunning
artwork inspired by The Hobbit Trilogy
to welcome visitors at Wellington International Airport and across the
city.
- A
Hobbit-inspired Artisan Festival in Waitangi Park showcasing the various
craftspeople and talent involved in the making of The Hobbit Trilogy.
- Outdoor, free public screenings of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy leading up to the premiere night event.
About The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
From Academy Award®-winning
filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit:
An Unexpected Journey, the first of a trilogy of films adapting the
enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The three films tell a
continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team
brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the
Oscar®-winning The Lord of the
Rings: The Return of the King.
The adventure follows the
journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to
reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard
Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led
by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield.
Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands
swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers.
Although
their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first
they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will
change his life forever…Gollum.
Here,
alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo
Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even
him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected
and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all
Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf
the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with
Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as
Thorin Oakenshield. Also reprising their
roles from “The Lord of the Rings” in “The Hobbit” Trilogy are: Cate Blanchett
as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo
Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The international ensemble cast of the
trilogy also includes (in alphabetical order) Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam
Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen
Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, James
Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott and Aidan Turner.
The screenplay for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is by
Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del
Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne
Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan
Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen
Moran serving as co-producers.
Under Jackson’s direction, “The
Hobbit” Trilogy has been shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released
in High Frame Rate (HFR) 3D, other 3D formats, IMAX and 2D. Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit” Trilogy
has been shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo
technology. Production has taken place at Jackson's own facilities in
Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
Among the creative
behind-the-scenes team returning to Jackson’s crew are director of photography
Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee
and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and make-up and hair designer Peter
King. The film is edited by Jabez
Olssen. The costumes are designed by Ann
Maskrey, Richard Taylor and Bob Buck.
Taylor is also overseeing the
design and production of weaponry, armour and prosthetics which are once again
being made by the award-winning Weta Workshop.
Weta Digital take on the visual effects for the films, led by the film’s
visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri.
Post production will take place at Park Road Post Production in
Wellington.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and the second and third films of the
trilogy are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
(MGM), with New Line managing production.
Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with
select international territories as well as all international television
distribution being handled by MGM.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released in New Zealand on
December 13, 2012, with the second film, The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, releasing December 13, 2013, and the third
film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again
slated for July 18, 2014. www.hobbitmovies.co.uk
