Organisers of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiere are keeping tight-lipped as to which celebrities will walk the red carpet in Wellington next month.
Today it was confirmed The Embassy Theatre, which held the Lord of the Rings premiere in Wellington, would play host to Sir Peter Jackson's latest film on November 28.
Stars and VIPs will walk more than 500 metres of red carpet from Reading Cinema to The Embassy Theatre, both of which will be screening the film for invited guests on premiere night.
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Sir Peter today confirmed he would be joined by members of the film's cast, as well as Hollywood stars and executives, but event organisers are keeping tight-lipped as to whether Orlando Bloom, Sir Ian McKellen or Martin Freeman will trod the red carpet.
"I can't tell you today, but all will be revealed in due course," Sir Peter's personal assistant at Wingnut Matt Dravitzki said.
"Wellington knows how to put on a premiere better than anywhere else in the world, even LA (Los Angeles)."
Chameleon event organiser James Wilson would also not reveal any names, but assured if precedent was anything to go by, Wellington's changeable weather would not disrupt the evening.
"Wellington never has crap weather on premieres.
"Obviously I did Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Lovely Bones, and I think you'll find not a drop of rain on all of those days."
The 'Middle of Middle-Earth'
Sir Peter this morning said he was "thrilled" The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will have its world premiere in the "Middle of Middle-earth".
"Nowhere else in the world does a premiere quite like Wellington, and I'm very grateful for the support of the Mayor, the Council and all Wellingtonians. It's special showing any film to an audience for the first time, but even more so when it's in your home town," he said.
At a briefing this morning, Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said the choice to call itself "the Middle of Middle-earth" for the week of the premiere is reflective of Wellington's position at the heart of New Zealand's film industry.
"It's also the city that has been integral in bringing the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien to life on the big screen. So for a week around the premiere Wellington will be known as The Middle of Middle-earth," she said.
Wellington City Council will contribute $1.1 million to the premiere week activities and towards ensuring Wellington is again looking its best under the international spotlight.
The film is the first of The Hobbit Trilogy to be made by Oscar-winning director Sir Peter and is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's famous novel, in which dwarves call on Hobbit Bilbo Baggins to help them reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is due for world-wide release on December 14, with the second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, releasing on December 13 next year.
The last instalment of The Hobbit: There and Back Again is slated for July 18, 2014.