Peter Jackson's award-winning hair and make-up team performed miracles on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

25 years after a crew of amateurs made the now cult classic Bad Taste, they remember its creator, Sir Peter Jackson, not always fondly, as he prepares for the premiere of the prequel to his record-breaking Rings trilogy.

A star of the classic cult film Bad Taste says Peter Jackson dumped him and his mates after they spent years helping him to make his breakthrough hit.

Many stars are expected to 'go green' for Wednesday's premiere of the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - what is lining up to be New Zealand's biggest movie party in years.

The volcanoes of Mordor are erupting right on cue for the Hobbit premiere, but animals have been the problem.

Air New Zealand has launched a new Hobbit-themed aircraft in celebration of the much anticipated release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Despite some unfavourable publicity, the tourism industry is anticipating a beneficial Hobbit spin-off.

The Hobbit films may come with the digital wizardry expected from a Peter Jackson production, but the transformative magic began in the hands of the films' makeup artists. Janetta Mackay reports.

Sir Ian McKellen says the thought of someone else playing Gandalf drove him to reprise the role.

A wrangler at the centre of claims animals were mistreated during filming of The Hobbit stands by his allegations, but says he never intended to tarnish the movie.

The estate of JRR Tolkien is suing Hobbit producers for causing "irreparable harm" to the author's legacy, just a week out from the film's official premiere.

Sir Peter Jackson says accusations of animal cruelty are distressing to dedicated staff.

Mark Hadlow who plays 'Dori' the dwarf in the upcoming 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' movie series, had a quick chat in costume at the Weta Workshop studios before he was to meet HRH The Prince of Wales.

Kiwi fans of The Hobbit are critical of the Government's and even director Sir Peter Jackson's role in the film trilogy's industrial relations dispute, a survey shows.

Prince Charles met Mark Hadlow, who plays the dwarf Dori in "The Hobbit" movies, in a tour of Weta Studios in Wellington.

A sculpture to mark The Hobbit premiere will be hoisted onto Wellington's Embassy Theatre from tomorrow, but exactly what will peer over the red carpet remains a secret.

From a giant, bug-eyed Gollum sculpture looming over passengers at Wellington Airport to promotional banners covering the facades of entire office blocks, the upcoming The Hobbit movie is impossible to ignore in New Zealand.

Air New Zealand's new The Hobbit-themed inflight safety video has become a global hit with worldwide media coverage spurring it to more than six million YouTube views in just four days.

Hobbit director Sir Peter Jackson stars in the latest Air New Zealand inflight safety video - An Unexpected Briefing.

Air New Zealand have developed a new way to get their passengers there and back again with this Hobbit-inspired Middle Earth in-flight safety video. Air NZ partnered with WETA Workshop and features cameo appearances including Sir Peter Jackson.