New Zealand Brings a Pop-Up Book to Hollywood

As movie fans await the imminent release of the second film of The Hobbit Trilogy – and another epic dose of Middle-earth landscapes – New Zealand has taken a cue from Hollywood by unveiling a giant pop-up book of New Zealand in Los Angeles.

The country that provided the epic scenery that backdrops The Hobbit Trilogy movies has installed the “world’s largest” pop-up book – occupying an area roughly the size of two tennis courts and 50 feet high – in the grounds of the Beverly Hilton hotel, that shows how film fantasy becomes reality for visitors to New Zealand.

The pop-up book of New Zealand is on site for five days coinciding with the Hollywood world premiere of The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug – produced and directed by acclaimed Kiwi film-maker Sir Peter Jackson.

It is divided into four sets representing new filming locations from the film – Hidden Bay (Turoa, Ohakune), Forest River (Pelorus River, Marlborough) Lake-town (Lake Pukaki, Mt Cook), and Beorn’s House (Paradise, Queenstown).

With original pieces of the actual movie sets and living features of the real landscapes, the pop-up book employs multi-media production techniques and film-making wizardry to show how the film fantasy is firmly attached to the real life Middle-earth landscapes of New Zealand.

Guests will literally step into the giant book and take a unique journey through four of the principal filming locations for the Trilogy, combining the actuality of the book, and the magic of the movies with the reality of the Middle-earth locations.

Authentic props used for the pop-up book of New Zealand include the giant wooden armchair from Beorn’s house, two-level waterside houses and a boat from Lake-town and the gigantic brooding bust of the dwarf king Thror that stood over the back entrance to Lonely Mountain.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, is scheduled for worldwide release on 13 December, 2013.

Tourism New Zealand made this announcement Sunday, Dec. 1.

In the picture above: The cast of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on the giant pop-up book of New Zealand – Aidan Turner, Evangeline Lily, Richard Armitage, Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Dean O’Gorman (left to right).

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Rakesh Raman