The Logistics of THE HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey

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Yes, the title says logistics, which is usually a very boring word, but Peter Jackson has such passion for what he’s doing that it shines through when he talks about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey so this little behind-the-scenes look at shooting on location in New Zealand is actually interesting, especially when Hobbiton turns out to be real.

With Gandalf on the scene, there’s no doubt that magic takes place on the big screen, but there’s plenty of magic happening behind the scenes too as Jackson and the film crew venture forth from the studio to the real world. Just imagine having to transport 700 members of the crew, 240 vehicles, and numerous animals in a coordinated move that requires everyone to show up at the right place at the right time. Add in those little real-life necessities like food, shelter, and bathrooms, and it’s easy to imagine all the different things that could go wrong, especially when you consider that filming was still going on while the crew was packing up for the trip.

Jackson and some other members of his team talk about it all, and Elijah Wood even makes an appearance in full Frodo costume to take us on a mini-tour of Hobbiton. Here’s a little shocker that might make you shake your head in wonder about all the time that’s passed by. Wood was 19 when he first stepped into Hobbiton. He’s 30 now. Yeah, I feel old, too.

One final interesting detail was revealed in the clip below that convinced me I must journey to New Zealand one of these days because it turns out Hobbiton is real. When Lord of the Rings was filmed, it was just a lot of fancy set-work but the Hobbit village is now a reality that Jackson hopes will remain standing for decades to come. How cool is that?