REPORT - STARS ATTEND EXCLUSIVE LONDON HOBBIT SCREENING!

T H E H O B B I T : T H E B A T T L E O F T H E F I V E A R M I E S

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

EXCLUSIVE 'EXTENDED EDITION' LONDON FAN EVENT

FEATURES | Kyle Pedley

A trio of very special guests, including Sir Ian Mckellen, an international fellowship of fans and a collection of fantastic Middle Earth 'cosplayers' were amongst those in attendance at an exclusive, invitation-only Hobbit screening event in London last Saturday, to celebrate the release of the final Extended Edition of the franchise, as well as the one year anniversary of a very special contest...

A COLLECTION of the world’s biggest and most passionate fans of the Hobbit franchise assembled in London last weekend for a very special screening event that was attended by a host of special guests to celebrate both the release of The Battle of the Five Armies - Extended Edition on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital release, and also to commemorate the one year anniversary of last year’s incredible Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest competition.

Organised and hosted by Kyle Pedley of (A)musings Media and The Hobbit Fan Fellowship (being one of the UK winners of last year’s Fan Contest competition), and with the help of Warner Bros. Pictures UK and Tourism New Zealand, the event saw other international winners fly in from all over the globe from as far afield as the United States, Mexico and Eastern Europe to take part in an evening full of surprises and special appearances.

Guests were not only treated to an exclusive screening of the Extended Edition of the final Hobbit film at Warner Bros. own private screening theatre ahead of it’s home release, but were also treated to surprises including a video message from director Sir Peter Jackson from over in New Zealand, and a Q&A session with a panel of distinguished special guests.

These included Royd Tolkien, great-grandson of author J.R.R. Tolkien and long-time advocate and supporter of the film adaptations, including a cameo appearance in 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and writer / broadcaster Brian Sibley, who has long been involved in the Tolkien community, having been jointly responsible for the excellent BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in 1981 and having since penned many of the official behind-the-scenes books and guides for both of Peter Jackson’s Middle-Earth trilogies. And finally, a standing ovation and outcry of excitement and disbelief was met by the appearance of film, theatre and television icon Sir Ian Mckellen, known and beloved around the world for his beautiful portrayal of ‘Gandalf’ in the Middle Earth movies, and the only principle cast member to appear in all 6 films.

Other special guests in attendance included a contingent of Middle Earth ‘cosplayers’ - The Galactic Knights - who were showcasing some of their terrific Hobbit and Rings inspired costumes and replicas, Chairman of The Tolkien Society - Shaun Gunner, and Rachel Sprackett of Tourism New Zealand.

Kyle Pedley, Fan Fellowship member and organiser/host of the event, said:

“This was an incredible, unprecedented celebration of the impact both these films and also last year’s incredible competition have had on people all over the globe. To have such a dedicated group of fans, who formed their own genuine fellowship over the course of a magical week in New Zealand last year, reunite from all corners of the globe for this special occasion was just an absolute joy to behold and be part of. To be joined by the likes of Royd Tolkien, Brian Sibley and Sir Ian Mckellen and have such a fantastic personal video message from Sir Peter Jackson over in New Zealand was an absolute thrill and honour. The guests were not aware or expecting any of it, and their reactions to not only the surprises, but also getting to see one another again, were a moving reminder of how indelible and genuine the bonds of fellowship formed in New Zealand really were.”

The Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest was an international search conducted in 2014 by Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and Warner Bros. to find 75 of the world’s biggest Hobbit fans. Over 140,000 people registered for the competition, and over a two month period were required to complete a series of tasks and challenges, including testing their knowledge of New Zealand as Middle Earth, designing a postcard for Peter Jackson and also producing their own two minute videos detailing their favourite Middle Earth memories and demonstrating why they were the biggest fans of the franchise.

The winners and their +1’s were then flown to New Zealand for an incredible, all-expenses paid trip which spanned both Islands and included visits to the actual filming locations from the movies, a special tour of the Hobbiton Set itself in Matamata, a special Maori Cultural welcome ceremony and Hangi Banquet, a visit to Weta Workshop where all of the creatures, costumes, weapons and special effects of the Middle Earth films were made, and finally a private screening of the final film, The Battle of the Five Armies, in the company of Peter Jackson himself, over a month before it’s theatrical release.

A gallery of official photos from the event can be found over on our Facebook page by clicking HERE.

Also check out the exclusive Video Highlights Reel from the event below:

#ticker #features #new