In case you missed us tweeting about it on Christmas Eve because you were too busy being excited about Santa delivering pressies, another bearded man brought a treat for us all. Yes, Peter Jackson released the latest production diary video for The Hobbit, and you can take a look below.
The new footage examines the massive logistical challenge that is location shooting on the new films, and showcases how the crew deals with it. If you thought family camping holidays required a bit of organising, that’s a piece of lembas bread compared to what’s needed when hundreds of people unite to make a movie in remote chunks of New Zealand.
But there’s also a chance to appreciate the beautiful countryside once more being used to help bring JRR Tolkien’s tales to life. Clearly intent on bringing the same scope to the Hobbit movies as he did to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Jackson has sought out some amazing vistas.
There’s also a chance to re-visit an old favourite place, with a segment of the vid dedicated to how the team has re-created Hobbiton on the same farmland as before, this time crafting the Hobbit homes in stone and wood so they can stand for years to come.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will arrive on December 14, 2012. There And Back Again will follow on December 13, 2013. For more on the movies, check out the latest issue of Empire, which is available right now.