"We're are shooting part two of 'The Hobbit' today, but I can't show you anything … because you're not allowed to see that until 2013," says director Peter Jackson at the start of a new "Hobbit" production diary. What Jackson is referring to is "The Hobbit: There and Back Again," the second half of the anticipated "Lord of the Rings" prequel, which doesn't hit theaters until December 2013. However, what Peter can show you are sets from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," out at the end of 2012.
In the newest video blog, J.R.R. Tolkien fans take a tour of New Zealand (a.k.a. Middle Earth), where both Jackson and second unit director/"Hobbit" star Andy Serkis shoot scenes for the upcoming film.
On top of the beautiful scenery and costumes, this on-set look gives viewers an idea of the amount of legwork that goes into pulling off a production of this magnitude. Many of the locations are done in places not available by car, meaning the entire team -- actors, crew, caterers, sets, etc. -- have to be transported via helicopter into the deepest regions of the country.
Some other highlights of the diary include Jakson shooting a scene where a group of dwarves travel down-river in barrels, Ian McKellan (Gandalf) introducing the audience to the food being fed to the cast and crew, and actors dressed in Middle Earth garb interacting with modern technology when they're not shooting a scene (one such moment features an actor in a dwarf costume taking photos with a digital camera).
You can check out the full video above. The full set of "Hobbit" production diaries are available on Facebook.
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," starring McKellan, Serkis and Martin Freeman, hits theaters December 14. "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" will be out December 13, 2014.
[via "Hobbit" Facebook and /Film]
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