Like the “Mad Max” saga for Australia, the “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” cycles made the New Zealand protagonist of the world tourist circuits. The films, all rigorously shot in the country down under by Kiwi director Peter Jackson, have also brought other economic benefits to the capital Wellington, home to the New Zealand film industry, and to the entire nation. Now that the latest film based on the book "Hobbit" is out (December 17 in Italian cinemas) it's time to reckon with a global phenomenon in your pocket.
The numbers. The adventure began in 1999, with the first film in the Lord of the Rings saga (entitled "The Fellowship of the Ring"). Since then, Jackson has strung together two more blockbusters and, after a short break, tackled another book by Tolkien the "Hobbit" from which he made three new films, the latest of which, "The Battle of the Five Armies", it comes out on Wednesday in theaters throughout Italy. 1,4 petabytes of digital film were used for the two sagas (one petabyte is equivalent to 1,5 million CD-ROMs). If shot on film, the six films would have taken up 11.400 kilometers of material, equivalent to the distance from Wellington to Hawaii. A massive effort that has had an impact on the New Zealand economy. The production used 100.977 hotel rooms and paid for 9.175 domestic flights, 1.759 rental cars and 19 commercial sites. It employed 5.617 people, including 1340 extras. In addition to the international cast that includes, among others, Ian McKellan, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler and Richard Armitage, Jackson has hired 7 New Zealand actors for the lead role and 49 for supporting roles.
Tourism. The two Jackson sagas had a major impact on New Zealand's image. As Kevin Bowler, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand says "There is no better publicity than six films in 15 years". In its advertising campaigns, the national tourism promotion agency had the intuition of identifying the country down under with the mythical Middle Earth. And the results can be seen: since the release of the "Desolation of Smaug" alone in 2013, tourism has grown by 10 percent. According to a recent survey, one in five tourists say they will do at least one Hobbit-related activity while in the country. Peter Jackson's Weta studios in Miramar, a suburb of Wellington and the Weta museum have become a must see for the Hobbitian tourist. However far more popular is Hobbiton, a tourist park in the peaceful agricultural area of the Waikato derived from the set of the "Hobbit", where you can visit the house of Bilbo Baggins and enjoy a beer in the village pub. Since 2012, Hobbiton has welcomed 300 visitors a year. To support the flow of tourists there are also dedicated guides, the most famous of which, written by Ian Brodie in 2004, identifies 158 sites scattered throughout New Zealand where the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was filmed. Over 500 copies have been sold worldwide and the volume has now been joined by a similar publishing initiative dedicated to the "Hobbit" and on sale from November.
The economic impact. The "Hobbit" trilogy received NZ$67 million (€41,8 million) in tax relief from the state. On the other hand, according to recent data, it was beneficial for the country's economy for an amount equal to 1,9 billion dollars (1,2 billion euros). The success of the two sagas has also raised the profile of the local film industry: more and more US productions make use of the pre- and post-production services of Weta, the group founded by Jackson with special effects wizards Richard Taylor and Joe Lettieri. Statistics New Zealand now estimates the value of the New Zealand film industry at $3,1 billion (€1,93 billion), “a figure unthinkable just a few years ago,” comments Gisella Carr, chief executive of Film New Zealand. “What has been created with the Tolkien Trilogy is a sustained number of cutting-edge technicians in filming, post-production and special effects. We have built an industry second to none and one that will remain for decades to come." Among the major projects that WETA will follow next year are three films in the saga of "Avatar" and "Pete's Dragon" by Walt Disney.
