Return of the King Premieres in New Zealand

I admit I am fairly jaded to the whole entertainment cycle routine: I just don’t get that worked up about the debut or release of almost anything because there’s always SOMETHING coming out that SOMEONE wants me to get excited about, and I’m at the point where I figure I will see it or hear it eventually if it’s any good.

BUT, I am pretty charged up about the third Lord of the Rings movie, and the fact that it comes at in the holiday season means there is even a pretty good chance I will get to see it somewhere near the beginning of its theatrical run. The film premiered in New Zealand today:

The world première of the final Lord of the Rings film attracted up to 100,000 people to the streets of the New Zealand capital Wellington on Monday.
Actors and film-makers took part in a parade in the city, where much of the trilogy’s production has been based.

Director Peter Jackson said: “I’m feeling incredibly humbled by this wonderful reception.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is released around the world between 17-20 December.

The crowds in Wellington – nicknamed Wellywood because of its film connections – were equivalent to a quarter of the city’s population.

….Jackson has said The Return of the King – which clocks in at three hours 11 minutes – is better than the first two instalments of the screen version.

The first two movies took almost $1.8bn (£1.05bn) between them at global box offices – and the new film is expected to be the most successful.

Some fans camped out to get the best spots to see stars like Liv Tyler, Sir Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood.

They took part in a street parade – started by Prime Minister Helen Clark – before treading the 470-metre (514-yard) red carpet outside the city’s Embassy Theatre.

Jackson said the adulation made those involved feel like they were “the first people to land on the moon or something”.

….Jackson said he was looking forward “to becoming a New Zealand film-maker again” after his next project, a re-make of King Kong.

He also said he would be “keen” to make a film of Tolkien’s The Hobbit – but he had not been asked.

“I’m obviously busy for the next couple of years with King Kong,” he said.

Lord of the Rings executive producer Mark Ordesky, chief operating officer of film studio New Line, told a press conference: “There could be a movie about The Hobbit.” [BBC]

Sweet.