The release date of the Hobbit trilogy's third film has been pushed back six months, Warner Bros has announced.
The Hobbit: There And Back Again, due to be released on July 18, 2014, will now screen on December 17, 2014.
The film is the final instalment of the trilogy, which has been adapted from JRR Tolkien's novel The Hobbit.
It now avoids going up against X-Men: Days of Future Past and is the only film in the December 17 spot.
The Hobbit trilogy's journey has been marred with controversy since its inception, from the resignation of original director Guillermo Del Toro to the union dispute in 2010.
The first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, has earned almost NZD$1.2 billion worldwide since its December 14, 2012 release.
The second instalment, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, is due for release on December 13 this year.
- nzherald.co.nz