Contest seeks fervent fans of 'Hobbit' movies

Hobbiton, one of the shooting places of the Hobbit Trilogy. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

China's Wanda to open US entertainment office

Movie critics have chance to shoot from the hip

Hobbit fans all over the world have the opportunity to enjoy journey to Middle-earth in New Zealand if they outshine most others in the Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will be released on Dec 17. Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros Pictures recently unveiled the contest at Comic-Con International: San Diego, an entertainment and comic convention.

The competition will choose 75 winners who can each take a friend to New Zealand to explore where the movie series has been filmed. They will not only spend one week at the country's well-known filming locations series and at scenic spots, but also have the ultimate experience for any Hobbit fan, to watch the final movie with its director Peter Jackson.

Tourism New Zealand's chief executive Kevin Bowler said the tourism bureau is excited to be involved in the contest. They want to ensure New Zealand's association as the home of Middle-earth lives on long past the release of the final film.

For more information on the contest, visit thehobbitfancontest.com.