By 3 News online staff
More details around the premiere of Sir Peter Jackson's Hobbit film next month have been released by the Wellington City Council this morning.
The capital is to be transformed into ‘the Middle of Middle-earth’, with $1.1 million put aside for the event.
The money will pay for a week of activities before the November 28 premiere which includes a countdown clock, an airport art gallery, an artisan festival of arts and crafts and free public screenings of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
A half-kilometre-long red carpet will be rolled out for the premiere, stretching down Courtenay Place from Reading Cinema to the Embassy Theatre. Both cinemas will screen the film for VIP guests on the night.
Sir Peter says excitement is building for the event – made all the more special by its Wellington debut.
"It's special showing any film to an audience for the first time, but even more so when it's in your back yard,” he said in a statement.
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown unveiled the project in a Hobbit-esque presentation at the Embassy Theatre today - complete with Hobbit-inspired food - before starting the official countdown clock in front of media outside.
Ms Wade-Brown says the money is well-spent and furthers Wellington’s track record of hosting red carpet events.
“We’re confident the city will turn it on again and show that we are indeed the coolest little capital in the world.
“We have some of the best coffee and cafes in the world that Bilbo and his friends would appreciate.”
The Council says the money is justified given the popularity of the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King premiere in 2003, which attracted 120,000 people to the red carpet on Courtenay Place and brought in an estimated $9.5 million.
Last week, New Zealand Post revealed a special Hobbit selection of six stamps and 15 coins.
3 News