Crowds turn out for Hobbit premiere

TENS of thousands of New Zealanders turned out to watch their favourite Hobbit actors walk the red carpet at the film trilogy’s premiere.

An Air New Zealand plane painted with characters from the tales flew low over Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, bringing roars of approval from the crowd.

British actor Martin Freeman, who brings comedic timing to the lead role of Bilbo Baggins, said he thought director Sir Peter Jackson had done an amazing job on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

“He’s done it again,” said Martin. “If it’s possible, it’s probably even better than The Lord of the Rings. He’s surpassed it.”

While it is unusual for a city so far from Hollywood to host the premiere of a hoped-for blockbuster, Sir Peter’s filming of his lauded Lord of the Rings trilogy and now The Hobbit in New Zealand has created a film industry there. The movie will open in cinemas around the world next month.

Sir Peter Jackson said it was strange working on the project so intimately for two years and then having it taken away as the world got to see the film.

“It spins your head a little bit,” he said.

The movie is shot at 48 frames per second, instead of the traditional 24.