Wellington gets ready for Hobbit gala

Wellington gets ready for Hobbit gala

The capital's getting ready for An Unexpected Journey back to Middle Earth tonight.

The charity gala premiere at the Embassy Theatre comes just one year after the first part of the Hobbit trilogy had its world premiere in the capital.

Tonight's event comes just a few days after the Los Angeles premiere of the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which saw the stars of the second part of the trilogy coming out to play. There's no word yet on whether any of the international cast will be heading back to New Zealand for the event tonight, which aims to raise money for the Island Bay Marine Education Centre.

The main attraction on the red carpet tonight (which could be black a la Los Angeles) will be the contingent of dwarves. Among their number, Jed Brophy (Nori), John Callen (Oin), Mark Hadlow (Dori), Peter Hambleton (Gloin), Stephen Hunter (Bombur) and William Kircher (Bifur) will be on hand to greet fans and sign autographs.

The second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, has already received positive reviews from early premieres and is due to open in New Zealand on December 12th.

The film follows Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the Lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.