Hobbit tourism boost New Zealand trips

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

For millions Tolkein fans, New Zealand is a hub for discover the ‘Hobbit.’

For millions, the Lord of the Rings films turned the country into Middle-earth, and as the premiere of a second trilogy approaches, tour operators are getting ready for another tourist bonanza.

According to Toby Manhire’s article in The Guardian: “A decade after Peter Jackson’s three-film adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings emerged to critical and popular acclaim, the countdown to The Hobbit – in its film form, also a trilogy – began last week … Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown unveiled a giant clock, complete with an image of Bilbo Baggins, counting down the minutes to the 28 November premiere.

“The clock sits atop the Embassy Theatre, the handsome 1920s cinema that will host the screening. A bevy of international stars, led, it’s safe to predict, by Freeman, will return to Wellington to walk the red carpet down Courtenay Place. The last time the 500m carpet was unrolled, for the world premiere of The Return of the King in 2003. Organizers expect a similar turnout this time. ‘

 “The Hobbit” is due to be split into three movies, rather than two as originally planned, which has raised the eyebrows of Hobbit and Tolkein fans.