“You shall not pass” beyond the doors of the hobbit holes at the Hobbiton Movie Set – until now, as the iconic hobbit holes are finally open to the public. Video / Carson Bluck
The 5.5-hectare set of Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies, near Matamata in Waikato, has just been crowned by Guinness World Records as the largest purpose-built movie set.
Hobbiton Movie Set Tourism general manager Shayne Forrest said the team was delighted about the recognition.
“It was very exciting to be contacted by the Guinness World Records team, confirming that Hobbiton Movie Set is indeed the ‘largest film set’ in the world.
“Visitors to Hobbiton Movie Set are often blown away by the scale of the movie set and the detail they kept in the gardens and hobbit holes nestled into the hillsides of The Shire, so to be recognised for this is fantastic."
The set was created in 1999 over nine months after Sir Peter Jackson’s team of location scouts fell in love with the Alexander family’s sheep and beef farm in the rolling green hills of the Waikato countryside a year earlier.
After filming wrapped, the set was meant to be demolished, however, before the entire set could be taken down, the Alexander family intervened and 17 bare plywood facades remained.
In 2009, Jackson returned to film the trilogy of The Hobbit movies and he left behind the set visitors see today, including 44 permanently reconstructed Hobbit Holes.
Hobbiton now has an interior hobbit hole. Bagshot Row was designed by Tilt Architecture. Photo / Supplied
WingNut Films chief executive and representative from Sir Peter Jackson’s office Carlos Ramirez Laloli said they were “thrilled” to hear about the record.
“This achievement is a testament to the care and dedication that Russell [Alexander], Shayne [Forrest], and the entire Hobbiton team demonstrate in their custodianship over the property,” Laloli said.
“We hope that this well-deserved recognition will lead to many more people taking their own unexpected journey’s to experience the magic of Hobbiton.”
“This is great recognition for an iconic New Zealand tourism attraction, and one we’re very proud to have in the Waikato.
Hobbiton, the 5.5-hectare set of Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies has just been crowned the largest purpose-built movie set by Guinness World Records. Photo / Hobbiton Movie Set
“We know people love it, the effort which goes into maintaining the set, and of course the creative energy behind the movies themselves.”
On her social media page, Upston said it was a “very cool” recognition.
“Great recognition for one of New Zealand’s most iconic attractions. Hobbiton brings in over half a million visitors a year, helping boost tourism and grow our economy.”
Matamata-Piako Mayor Adrienne Wilcock said the record confirmation was “awesome news” for the local community and the wider Waikato.
The Hobbit' film set in Matamata is popular with tourists. Photo / Stephen Barker/Rex Features
“Hobbiton is already a magical place nestled in the heart of Matamata farmland, and being named the largest movie set in the world is just the icing on the cake. It’s a huge credit to the team at Hobbiton — their passion, hard work and vision have turned a film set into one of New Zealand’s most iconic destinations," Wilcock said.
“It’s the kind of recognition that draws even more visitors to experience the magic of The Shire, and with Jetstar starting international flights into Hamilton in June, the timing couldn’t be better. I’m sure the benefits will be felt across our local economy and through the whole Waikato region.”
Hamilton and Waikato Tourism chief executive Nicola Greenwell congratulated the Hobbiton team on the achievement.
“While Guinness World Record have acknowledged Hobbiton Movie Set for being the largest, in our opinion, it is also the most magical,” she said.
“The team at Hobbiton Movie Set are masters at providing exceptional visitor experiences ... It doesn’t matter if you have been to Hobbiton Movie Set before or if you are a new visitor, the magic continues.”
Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist and assistant news director at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.
