The Prime Minister's office is standing by its tally of the number of jobs created by The Hobbit after criticism it had plucked the number "out of thin air".

The Hobbit was snubbed in the acting, director and best picture categories, but was nominated for technical awards.

It may not be tipped for Oscar glory, but New Zealand movie fans have voted The Hobbit as their best film of 2012.

It took Leatherface and his chainsaw to stop The Hobbit's stranglehold on the top spot at the US box-office.

Ian McKellen's agent has caused confusion after denying a report the actor is battling prostate cancer.

The Hobbit trilogy is already being credited with a big boost to New Zealand tourism with flight bookings jumping significantly.

The Hobbit has reportedly set an opening day New Zealand box office earnings record.

Martin Freeman is on the cusp of major movie stardom, but he’s not feeling happy about it.

The Hobbit is projected to match the final Lord of the Rings film in opening weekend box-office takings.

Movie blogger Dominic Corry says what Peter Jackson should do after the final Hobbit film is out.

Kate Middleton's pregnancy sickness has forced her to cancel an appearance at the UK premiere of The Hobbit.

Hobbit star Ian McKellen has revealed he has been battling prostate cancer for up to seven years, but says it is "contained" and not life threatening.

Peter Jackson stayed up till 4am watching Sherlock episodes during his quest to get Martin Freeman to play Bilbo.

Air New Zealand says it is already benefiting from The Hobbit, even before the movie's wide release.

New Zealand Herald TimeOut editor Russell Baillie and film reviewer Dominic Corry have watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. They share their thoughts in a robust discussion in the nzherald.co.nz studio as New Zealand awaits the December 12 release.

The first heavyweight international reviews of The Hobbit are out - with high praise and divided opinions over the contentious 48 frames per second.

Stephen Colbert is devoting a full week of his internationally syndicated show The Colbert Report to The Hobbit.

The red carpet took place in Wellington, New Zealand and was attended by key cast members including Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, the Company of Dwarves and director Peter Jackson.

Hobbit fans in New Zealand for early screenings of the film claim its controversial high frame rate made them feel sick.

The Hobbit has already gained an Oscar nomination, despite being weeks out from its official cinema release.