Ringer Spy Kookie sends us this tidbit: The Otago Daily News is reporting that the The Hobbit team is on the lookout for extras again. This time, production company 3foot7 is advertising for 200 extras — to fill the roles of “townspeople” and elves — for filming the Twizel region of New Zealand in late November and December.

According to the article, the requirement for “townspeople” (by which we extrapolate to mean the people of Laketown and the surrounding area) is for men and women aged between 30 and 80 years with interesting character faces — men with beards. “All shapes, sizes and ethnicities welcome,” the studio said. For elves: people aged between 17 and 35 with a height of more than 168cm.

The casting calls will take place at the Wanaka St John training rooms on September 23; Twizel Events Centre and Tekapo Community Hall on September 24; and Oamaru Opera House Empire Room on September 25.