While this new production video from The Hobbit isn’t as revealing as those in the past, this one is certainly the most beautiful. In this sixth installment, you’ll travel all around the stunning landscapes New Zealand has to offer and you’ll hear from director Peter Jackson, 2nd unit director Andy Serkis (who also plays Gollum), star Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), and many other members of the hardworking cast and crew. Jackson shares that production on the two films has passed the halfway point (day 127).
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyhits theatres December 14, 2012.
Shortly after releasing the very first trailer for The Hobbit, director Peter Jackson uploaded a fifth production video. This one focuses on “the logistics of location shooting.” It shows how the massive production team establishes the beautiful landscapes of Middle Earth in New Zealand. After 110 days of shooting indoors, the team finally ventured outside to recreate Hobbiton, the tranquil neighborhood of hobbits such as Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. “It’s weird when you come back to a place that you literally thought you’d never see again,” says Jackson. Elijah Wood also feels nostalgic stepping back into the town of Bag End. “I’ll never forget that feeling of coming to Hobbiton for the first time.”
When the Hobbit huts were originally built in 1999 for the Lord of the Rings films, they were constructed with polystyrene and later torn down when filming completed. This time around, the construction crew rebuilt all the Hobbit holes using real wood, stone, and brick. Now they won’t deteriorate as fast and fans of the books and movies can schedule tours and visit the set. In the video you’ll even see that the Prime Minister of New Zealand approves!
At the end of the clip Jackson teases that there’s more to this location shooting-themed video diary; part two is coming in 2012. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theatres December 14, 2012.
Here’s another fascinating look behind the scenes of Peter Jackson’s upcoming prequel The Hobbit. In it the famed director talks to the actors and production crew behind the making of the expansive project, and you get a feel for just how far they’ve come since they broke ground in the first production video. Things seem to be going splendidly in New Zealand. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey releases December 14, 2012; part two–There and Back Again–follows exactly one year later.