New Zealand's capital is preparing for the world première of the first film in The Hobbit trilogy by showcasing an artisan festival selling all sorts of small-folk paraphernalia, laying a red carpet that will extend 450 metres through central Wellington and renaming the city after the trilogy's fictional setting of Middle-earth.
Wellington is planning to spend 1.1 million New Zealand dollars ($900,000) to mark the Nov. 28 première of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.