Hobbits in Helicopters

[chickenlegs-11.livejournal.com]

I thought I'd post this here as I'm not sure if this photo (in colour) has been widely seen before. (Also posted to my LJ)

I was digging through some of my boxes of junk and came across a local (Melbourne) newspaper I'd saved from April 2004 which featured a two-page spread on the boon LOTR given to New Zealand's tourism and industry. One of the people interviewed for the article was Bill Reid who was chief pilot for the movie's aerial shots around Nelson. Bill says he had a ball with the four hobbit actors and "I'd been briefed by their minders to really look after them. If we'd had an accident and hurt them, we'd have been sued for millions and millions of dollars. But as soon as I'd get off the ground, they'd say "C'mon Bill, c'mon Bill - throw it around! Loop it! Roll it! Do some acrobats!"

Here is the photo that went with it. I've seen this once around LJ as a black and white shot, but I thought I'd scan in the photo here as this one is in colour - and it is rather cute! Elijah looks absolutely squishable!

Comments

[angelwood.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I misssss the hobbitssss. It's kinda weird though seeing them in costume in a chopper.

[maddeningpadme.livejournal.com]

they were in costume cuz they had to be flown to those places shooting all over NZ. they have to be ready to go. hurry up & wait! the famous acting saying ;) not sure where they actually were flying to in this pic but im guessing for an FOTR scene. i always loved this pic :)

[chickenlegs-11.livejournal.com]

Yeah I thought that too. It's like Third Age Middle-Earth meets 21st century New Zealand.

[angelwood.livejournal.com]

Exactly!