Sharjah24 – Reuters: New Zealand's Hobbiton, home of the Hobbits in the 'Lord of the Rings' film trilogy, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 'Fellowship of the Ring' with a special outdoor screening on Friday (December 10).
Around 120 guests will get a tour of the Hobbiton site, located at a sheep and beef farm about 160 kilometres from Auckland, whilst sampling the delights of 'the Shire' before watching the film on a 13 metre screen, CEO of the Hobbiton Movie Set Russell Alexander said.
The release of the first feature film of the J.R.R Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" trilogies premiered at Odeon Leicester Square in London on Dec. 10, 2001, bringing instant fame to New Zealand's rolling hills, meadows and forests, which were the backdrop for the mythical Middle-Earth.
New Zealand's tourism industry has been hurt over the last 20 months by border closures and pandemic restrictions. Hobbiton received 650,000 tourists each year before the pandemic, but saw just 90,000 visitors in the last 12 months.
The hairy feet and pointed-ear Hobbits are set to hit the screens again as Amazon Studios began filming of the "The Lord of the Rings" series in New Zealand last year, a TV show widely tipped to be the most expensive ever made.
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