The first two Hobbit movies, starring British actor Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, are scheduled for release in December 2012 and December 2013. However, Sir Peter Jackson and the three studios behind the project announced this week a third Hobbit film will be released in the summer of 2014.
The Wellington film-maker said online he and his fellow producers watched an early cut of the first movie and most of the second and were "really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life.
"All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale?
And the answer from our perspective as the film-makers, and as fans, was an unreserved 'yes'." Sir Peter said he and his senior crew knew how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer and the Battle of Dol Guldur would remain untold if they did not take the chance.
"The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous but at all times exciting history of Middle-earth," Sir Peter said.
Strath Taieri, Central Otago, Treble Cone and the Earnslaw Burn and Paradise near Queenstown were among the New Zealand locations used by a small army of cast and crew led by Sir Peter last year.
Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd said yesterday it was "great news" the film-makers were able to extend the franchise with a third instalment.
While it was unknown if specific Queenstown or Otago locations would appear in one, two or all three films, there would certainly be a "halo effect" for the region, he said.
"Tourism New Zealand have a huge programme of activity built around The Hobbit movies and have worked very closely with Warner Bros," Mr Budd said.
"We're working with them as part of their project to leverage off The Hobbit."
Nomad Safaris offered Lord of the Rings guided tours among its products and found demand from tourists peaked years after the release of the films.
The Return of the King was released in theatres in late 2003, but the greatest upswing in Rings enthusiasm occurred in 2005.
Co-owner David Gatward-Ferguson said the original trilogy was released in December, and the Hobbit films would be too, which was normally too late for people to make travel plans for the summer.
"It's a big trip [to New Zealand] and it's still seen as a once in a lifetime trip, so you've got to do bit of planning and thought around it.
"My only concern is, and I hope there won't be, Hobbit fatigue. The Hobbit is quite a short story in itself and to make it into two movies is something, even with the appendices, and to make it into three great movies, he's got quite a lot of work to do.
"But we're talking about Sir Pete here and, overall, we're really, really pleased for Queenstown."
