Wellington, New Zealand

One of the filming locations of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the first film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.

Information board Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

South of the city centre Mount Victoria is located, a hill almost 200 meters (650 feet) high. Several scenes were filmed here that take place at the beginning of the hobbits' journey. We visited these locations on a tour, including a visit to the Weta Workshop. This company produced, amongst others, props, special costumes and sets for The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and many other films. At Mount Victoria is a Lord of the Rings car park with an information board. It shows only one location, 'Hobbit Hideaway'. From the car park it is a few minutes walk.

Along the way, there are poles that point in the right direction. Without a guide, it would probably have been difficult to find the other filming locations.

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The hobbits Froddo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin) are on their way to Bree. At the end of the day they spend the night in the forest and smoke a pipe. The tree that Frodo is lying on and Sam is sitting next to is not far from the 'Hobbit Hideaway'. The tree is not immediately visible because it requires leaving the footpath and walking down a smaller path.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:45:03

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:45:19

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The next day, Frodo and Sam meet two other hobbits on their way, Pippin Took (Billy Boyd) and Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan). They have stolen vegetables from a farmer. On the run, the foursome roll down a hill. This scene was shot on 11 October 1999 and was the first in which the four actors appeared together. According to our guide, Kate, director Andrew Jackson had thought that being this close would be a good way to get to know each other. Kate had also brought a few props, including a broken carrot. The place where the hobbits are tumbling down is only a few metres from the 'Hobbit Hideaway'.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:52:44

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:52:57

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

Frodo feels that danger is coming their way. The tree with the many branches behind him is easily recognisable. The sloping path that he sees and that looks distorted in the film is nearby but not as close as it appears to be. The tree that the hobbits are hiding under was a prop.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:54:23

This is the 'Hobbit Hideaway' indicated on the information board. Because the tree was not real there is not much to see, except for the trees in the background that are largely the same. Our guide told us that the huntsman spider that walks over Merijn's shoulder was brought over specially from Australia because there are no large spiders in New Zealand. It is not allowed to import non-indigenous species, therefore the spider had to be flown back to Australia after filming was completed.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:53:20

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:53:29

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:53:35

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:53:51

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:54:01

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

At night, the hobbits are still in danger. This scene was filmed a little further away on 30 October 1999. According to our guide, this is a location that many other excursions skip, perhaps because the exact spot can no longer be found.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 0:55:35

Mount Victoria, Wellington, 6 January 2020

The extended edition on dvd was used for the screenshots.

Screenshots © New Line Cinema/Wingnut Films

  

Wellington, New Zealand

 
The American movie GHOST IN THE SHELL is based on the Japanese manga of the same name and is set in the near future. The comic strip previously inspired animated films and television series, this is the first live action adaptation.

Ghost in the Shell, 1:37:24

After Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) has been seriously injured during an cyberterrorist attack, her brain is placed in an artificial body, the 'shell' from the title. Because she knows little about her past, she is chosen by her 'designer', Dr. Ouelet (Juliette Binoche) from Hanka Robotics, to fight crime. Within a year she has obtained the rank of Major and heads the Task Force Section 9 Police Unit.
The story is set in the fictional New Port City, modeled after existing cities such as Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. In June 2016, a few scenes were filmed in Hong Kong.

The major part of the film was made in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, where principal photography began on 1 February and ended on 3 June 2016. The financially favourable environment of New Zealand has made it appealing for foreign productions to film here.

Wellington, 6 January 2020

The success of The Lord of the Rings allowed the Stone Street Studios, where the trilogy was shot, to be expanded. The nearby Weta Workshop specializes in (digital) visual effects, props and set design. Both facilities were used for Ghost in the Shell.
Wellington has been nicknamed Wellywood thanks to the increasing number of film productions. With a nod to the well-known Hollywood sign, the name Wellington was placed in the hills of the Miramar district on 27 July 2012 in the same style. The last three letters appear to be blown away, a reference to the frequent strong wind in the city.

The Weta Workshop offers guided tours, but due to copyright reasons - there may be work on films that are in development - it is not allowed to take photos. It is allowed to photograph in the small souvenir shop Weta Cave where some props are on display, including the masks of the geisha cyborgs.

Ghost in the Shell, 0:09:20

Weta Cave, Wellington, 6 January 2020

Except in the studio there was also filmed in the streets of Wellington. At the beginning of Victoria Street, a scene was shot in which a garbage truck deliberately causes a collision with the car of Dr. Ouelet. There are many digital additions and adjustments, but the parking garage on the left and the two buildings to the right of the middle can still be recognized.

Ghost in the Shell, 0:44:54

Victoria Street, Wellington, 6 January 2020

Scarlett Johansson was photographed at Seatoun Wharf during her stay in Wellington.

Scarlett Johansson, Seatoun Wharf, Wellington

Seatoun Wharf, Wellington, 23 January 2020

Screenshots © Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures/Reliance Entertainment
Photo Scarlett Johansson © Jasin Boland