Middle Earth mania in New Zealand for Hobbit debut
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Visitors pose next to a sculpture of the J. R. R. Tolkien character Gollum at the Weta Cave museum in Wellington in this September 25, 2012 handout photograph. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A giant Gollum creature from the Hobbit movie catches a fish on the ceiling of Wellington AIrport on Oct 31, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Women pass by a large depiction of Gandalf, a character in the upcoming movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov 22, 2012.-- PHOTO: AP
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This picture taken on Nov 24th, 2012 shows a customer entering a cafe decorated as a hobbit scene advertising The Hobbit movie in the central business district in Wellington. -- PHOTO: AFP
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This picture taken on Nov 24th, 2012 shows a large wrap around mural on the front of the Clemenger BBDO building to advertise The Hobbit movie in the central business district in Wellington. -- PHOTO: AFP
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An Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER featuring livery advertising the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey taxis to a gate after landing at Heathrow Airport, en route to Los Angeles and then Auckland, in London. Nov 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A sculpture of the JRR Tolkien character Gandalf is displayed at the Weta Cave museum in Wellington in this Sept 25, 2012 handout photograph. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Two airport security officers wait as an Air New Zealand 777-300 plane carrying some cast members of the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey taxies on the tarmac at Wellington Airport on Nov 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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An Air New Zealand flight crew poses with Hobbit-themed flight socks after a Boeing 777-300ER, featuring livery advertising the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, landed at Heathrow Airport in London Nov 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Market vendor Barry Eldridge poses as the JRR Tolkien character Gandalf at a Hobbit Artisan Market in Wellington Nov 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A man walks along a fence hung with large format hoardings of JRR Tolkien characters from The Hobbit movie in Wellington Nov 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Pedestrians walk past a giant model of the JRR Tolkien character Gandalf mounted on the front of The Embassy Theatre in Wellington Nov 27, 2012, where the world premier of The Hobbit film will screen on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Visitors pose next to a sculpture of the J. R. R. Tolkien character Gollum at the Weta Cave museum in Wellington in this September 25, 2012 handout photograph. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A giant Gollum creature from the Hobbit movie catches a fish on the ceiling of Wellington AIrport on Oct 31, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Women pass by a large depiction of Gandalf, a character in the upcoming movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov 22, 2012.-- PHOTO: AP
This picture taken on Nov 24th, 2012 shows a customer entering a cafe decorated as a hobbit scene advertising The Hobbit movie in the central business district in Wellington. -- PHOTO: AFP
This picture taken on Nov 24th, 2012 shows a large wrap around mural on the front of the Clemenger BBDO building to advertise The Hobbit movie in the central business district in Wellington. -- PHOTO: AFP
An Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER featuring livery advertising the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey taxis to a gate after landing at Heathrow Airport, en route to Los Angeles and then Auckland, in London. Nov 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A sculpture of the JRR Tolkien character Gandalf is displayed at the Weta Cave museum in Wellington in this Sept 25, 2012 handout photograph. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Two airport security officers wait as an Air New Zealand 777-300 plane carrying some cast members of the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey taxies on the tarmac at Wellington Airport on Nov 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
An Air New Zealand flight crew poses with Hobbit-themed flight socks after a Boeing 777-300ER, featuring livery advertising the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, landed at Heathrow Airport in London Nov 25, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Market vendor Barry Eldridge poses as the JRR Tolkien character Gandalf at a Hobbit Artisan Market in Wellington Nov 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A man walks along a fence hung with large format hoardings of JRR Tolkien characters from The Hobbit movie in Wellington Nov 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Pedestrians walk past a giant model of the JRR Tolkien character Gandalf mounted on the front of The Embassy Theatre in Wellington Nov 27, 2012, where the world premier of The Hobbit film will screen on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
WELLINGTON (AFP) - Up to 100,000 people are expected to crowd into central Wellington Wednesday for the world premiere of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, an event that has sparked Middle Earth mania in New Zealand.
Presenters on national radio greeted listeners in the fictional language elvish on Wednesday morning, while newspapers came with complimentary Hobbit posters and sculptures of characters from the film dotted the capital.
Hundreds of fans, many in costume, staked out spots early in the day hoping for a glimpse of stars such as Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood and Martin Freeman treading a 500m red carpet leading to the Embassy Theatre.
"It's going to be magical," said Mia Ramsden, who travelled from Melbourne, Australia, for the premiere and camped overnight in central Wellington dressed as the elf queen Arwen to claim a prime position to view the stars.
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