Sunset near Twizel, New Zealand.Peter Jackson held a a world-wide contest for fans with the ultimate prize of traveling to New Zealand to watch “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” with the director. Fans world-wide responded and as promised, winners were announced from the four corners of the globe.
Today we can share the news that TheOneRing.net will be on the trip as well to bring the wonders of New Zealand and the experiences of the winners to fans just as fast as we can type. Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand are giving the winners a Middle-earth experience on the North and South Islands before viewing the film with Jackson. (TheOneRing has not been invited to see the film and will enjoy a nice walk during the screening!)
Our own MrCere (Larry D. Curtis) will leave Friday, on Halloween to join the adventure and share the experience as much as possible here at TheOneRing.net homepage. We hope to have video, photographs, chats with the winners and share the wonders of the unexpected journey of international Hobbit fans as much as possible. We will post on our Facebook page, on Twitter @TheOneRingNet (and on his personal account @MrLDC) as much as possible while still traveling, interviewing and perhaps sleeping.
Hobbiton Movie SetThe event is unprecedented in fandom, bringing some of the most ardent fans in the world all together to see how the amazing country of New Zealand is Middle-earth. The trip seems likely to feature stops in places like the Hobbiton Movie Set, Weta Workshop and perhaps even film sights on the south island.
“I fully realize how fortunate I am to be able to experience this with fans,” Curtis said. “I always tell people I am a fan of fans and it will be an incredible pleasure to see the joy and wonder on the faces of these instant friends as we experience the landscape of New Zealand together and presumably get a glimpse of the magic of the film empire in Wellington. It’s deeply meaningful to me to be invited to share it with our TORn audience.”
The journey starts in New Zealand on Sunday and continues for about a week. As far as we know, only a few international journalists will make the trip.
Some of MrCere’s coverage of Hobbit films can be seen below:
