Purple reigns for Paquin at comic convention

Anna Paquin on stage at the Comic-Con International convention in San Diego. Photo / Getty Images

Two of New Zealand's most famous international film faces came face to face with their adoring fans to talk up the last acts of their respective headline titles at the weekend.

Anna Paquin, whose True Blood TV series is in its last season, and Sir Peter Jackson, who's putting the final touches on the last of the Hobbit films, did not disappoint thousands of fans at the annual Comic-Con International entertainment and comic convention in San Diego.

A purple-haired Paquin made an appearance for a True Blood cast signing session. The final episode screens in the US next month.

Sir Peter announced the Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest, which will see an army of international Hobbit fans soon converging on Middle-earth (aka New Zealand) for a private screening of the third film in the trilogy before the movie's release in December.

A teaser of the trailer for The Battle of the Five Armies was also played for fans.

Watch it below:

The competition will see 150 fans (75 winners, plus one guest each) flown here by Air New Zealand for a week to attend the screening and tour some of The Hobbit trilogy's filming locations.

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said partnering with New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros Pictures along with Tourism New Zealand was a huge opportunity to promote Middle-earth as a destination.

Competition entries open on August 25. And a Marvel panel at the convention announced Kiwi actress Lucy Lawless would be joining as SHIELD agent Isabel Hartley.