Fans gather for The Hobbit world premiere

Hobbit mania erupted in New Zealand's capital for the world premiere of Peter Jackson's new trilogy, attracting tens of thousands of fans, many in costume.

The first of the three movies - prequels to the Lord of the Rings trilogy - was shown at Wellington's Embassy Theatre.

Stars flew in for the event, which saw Wellington rebranded as "the Middle of Middle Earth".

Some fans camped overnight to secure spots close to the 500m-long red carpet that led to the theatre, which was decorated to look like the entrance to a Hobbit house.

Phil Mercer reports.