Peter Jackson and a starry line-up of cast members from “The Lord of the Rings” this week returned to Middle Earth for a special party.
The Hobbiton Movie Set hosted the gathering, a launch-pad for “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” the latest cinematic tale in J.R.R. Tolkien’s saga.
Actors Andy Serkis (Gollum), Brian Cox (Helm Hammerhand), Miranda Otto (Éowyn), Gaia Wise (Héra) and others were on hand, alongside the filmmakers director Kenji Kamiyama, executive producers Jackson, Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, producer Philippa Boyens, and co-screenwriters Phoebe Gittens and Arty Papageorgiou.
At the lush site, 180km south-east of Auckland, the talent was greeted with a pōwhiri—a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony—honoring the rich cultural heritage of New Zealand, where the multiple Oscar-winning LOTR films were brought to life.
On the night, Wellington pop-rock act Drax Project performed “The Rider,” a new single from the movie’s soundtrack, performed by rising artist Paris Paloma.
According to a joint statement from Universal Pictures and Warner Bros., guests mingled with a stilt-walking wizard, a fire performer, juggling hobbits, fiddlers, flutists, and horseback riders. Also, themed cocktails were handed out, including “The Hammerhand” (blue margarita), “Wulf’s Revenge” (espresso martini), “Hera’s Fire” (apple pie), and “Fréaláf’s Fizz” (gin fizz).
Earlier, the anime feature got its New Zealand premiere screening at Hoyts Te Awa.
Created by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation Present, in Association with Wingnut Films, a Warner Bros. Animation and Sola Entertainment Production, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” received thunderous applause during a packed presentation June at the Annecy Animation Festival, Variety reported at the time.
The new story is set nearly 200 years before Bilbo Baggins comes into contact with the ring of power, and centres on the House of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, with a focus on his daughter, the strongwilled Princess Héra.
“For those who can’t get enough of Middle-earth, here’s two-plus hours of deep-cut backstory to feed your appetite, centered on a siege at the stronghold that would come to be known as Helm’s Deep (where we saw Saruman’s Orcs obliterated by Ents in “The Two Towers”),” writes Variety’s Peter Debruge.
“The Two Towers,” released in 2002, snagged two of the 17 Oscars collected by Jackson’s original LOTR trilogy. The final of those, 2003’s “Return of the King,” swept the Academy Awards the following year with 11 wins, including best picture and best director, for Jackson.
“Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” opens Thursday, December 12th in cinemas.