This summer we look back at the big stories of the year. This is from June.

The high-level meeting comes at a time when studio space is in high demand.

Paul Bloomfield went on a three day guided tour of the Whanganui River and was stunned

Screen funding system pays producers bonuses to shoehorn NZ references into scripts.

Is Wellywood worth it?

George Sayer to be recognised for his influence on budding writers.

Blink and you'll miss it Mangaweka has something special to offer.

From Titanic to Star Wars - the movie endings that have left fans feeling outraged.

National treasure: Tongariro celebrates 130 years as a national park

Burglars help thems-elves in Lord of the Rings jeweller break-in.

Leveraging Middle Earth has boosted tourism to New Zealand during the past 15 years and will continue in the future, says Tourism New Zealand.

A new study has found which films have the most on-screen casualties - and it's pretty grim.

Prepare to embark on a quest of your own to discover the incredible world of "the Hobbit" as modern archaeological science uncovers perplexing secrets hidden in time.

Mounting evidence suggests 'hobbits' were wiped out by modern humans' ancestors 50,000 years ago

Long ago Waitomo Caves staff named two eels living in the cave system "Smeagol" and "Gollum".

Siobhan Keogh isn't quite ready to jump into the LOTR gaming universe.

When Dominic Monaghan told his former boss, Sir Peter Jackson, that he was travelling to Laos to track down a new species of spider, there were serious questions raised about his sanity.

The list of stars walking the red carpet at next week's world premiere of the first Hobbit film has been revealed - with one notable cast member missing.

The tourism industry is gathering in Queenstown for its annual sales pitch to buyers from around the world, with high hopes the Hobbit movies will prove an irresistible lure to tourists.