New Zealand calls on Hobbit makers to pay back $56 million subsidy Following the tremendous box office success of The Hobbit film a New Zealand official has called on the moviemakers to repay the $56 million (NZ$67 million) subsidy they received from the country’s taxpayers to fund shooting in New Zealand. The first movie in Peter Jackson’s upcoming trilogy based on J.R.R.Tolkien’s best-selling... 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey New Zealand’s capital will be renamed after the fictional setting of Middle-earth to celebrate the world premiere of the Hobbit saga film. “The Middle of Middle-earth” is Wellington’s new unofficial name for three weeks before and after the premiere. ­The magic name will be reflected on postmarks on letters and the masthead of Wellington’s main...