Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood crash Hobbit party (+pics)

Peter Jackson and Dave from Calgary, who is dressed as an Ent, pose at The Hobbit pre-premiere party. Photo/Marty Melville

Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood surprised hundreds of Hobbit fans by turning up to a pre-premiere party in Wellington last night.

The director and the actor, who reprises his role as Frodo in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, received a rapturous welcome to the party at the Amora Hotel in Wellington.

The event was organised by fansite TheOneRing.net.

Many of the fans, most of whom were in elaborate Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit-themed costume, posed for pictures with the pair.

Jackson told them he had finished The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Sunday.

Some of the actors, including Wood, had already seen it, he said.

The Hobbit is set to premiere at Embassy Theatre tomorrow.

Metservice said the weather for the day should be dry with some patch cloud.

It will be breezy at times, with winds of about 30-40km/hr and afternoon highs will reach 18 degrees, it said.

Go to nzherald.co.nz tomorrow for full coverage of The Hobbit red carpet and premiere. Live updates will begin at 12pm and a live stream of all the action will start at 3:50pm.