December 10th, 2021 marks 20 years since the international premiere of the first film in the iconic The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. And with that, the world saw its first glimpse of New Zealand as Middle-earth, setting the scene for J.R. R Tolkien’s novel series.
The impact of the films on tourism in New Zealand has been monumental, and it remains a driver for visitation 20 years on. The 2019 International Visitor Survey conducted by MBIE found 18% of holiday visitors cited Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit films as the reason they first became interested in visiting New Zealand. The 2019 International Visitor Survey conducted by MBIE found approximately 33% of all holiday visitors to New Zealand will visit a film location.
Jaw-dropping natural landscapes across both the New Zealand’s North and South Islands play backdrop for many of the film’s iconic scenes. Wētā Workshop (based in Wellington, New Zealand) were the masterminds behind the concept design, armour, weapons, creatures, miniatures and special makeup effects for the The Lord of The Rings Trilogy.
To mark this milestone, Hobbiton Movie Set is celebrating with a special outdoor film screening where the adventure first began, on the grassy clearing of The Party Field, where Bilbo celebrated his eleventy first birthday. It was here in January 2000 that over 100 extras and approximately 300 crew filmed one of the most memorable scenes from the film, over the course of three nights. The event will be the first 4k screening of The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in Australasia.
Experience the magical world of The Lord Of The Rings in real life only in New Zealand once the borders open in the near future.
