'Rings' mania begins

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The final battle for Middle-earth began today as stars of the last Lord Of The Rings film arrived for its premiere in New Zealand to a heroes' welcome from 100,000 movie fans.

Star Liv Tyler, who plays elf princess Arwen in the trilogy, said she was moved by the reception and overcome with emotion that the vast project was almost over.

Strolling barefoot up the red carpet in a black gown next to British co-star Orlando Bloom, the 26-year-old actress said of third movie, The Return Of The King: "This is one of the most incredible things that has happened in my life.

I only saw the final cut two days ago and cried for the final hour."

Following her up the red carpet, the film's director, New Zealander Peter Jackson, 42, said he felt "sick with nerves" - and admitted today's premiere would be the first time he had seen the finished work.

"It was only finished a week ago. And so I decided that I would save it for tonight," he said. Jackson, who is about to make a new version of King Kong, said he wanted to work with the film's main stars again.

The turnout for the world premiere in Wellington, the New Zealand capital around which much of the filming took place, was unprecedented. Children clung to lampposts to glimpse the stars and office workers abandoned their desks to throw tickertape on to the passing parade.

Among the stars, tiny actors dressed as hobbits walked side by side with taller figures robed as long-haired elves and warriors from Gondor. Scary ringwraiths rode at the back, incongruously blowing kisses as they passed.

The Return Of The King, already hotly tipped for the Oscars, follows the last days of the quest by hobbit Frodo Baggins to destroy the evil ring of power. Filmed on an epic scale, it employed more than 15,000 extras and took 15 months to make - but is expected to take New Line Cinema's earnings from the trilogy over the £1.4 billion mark.

Earlier, British actor Ian McKellen said the wizard Gandalf was the best part he has ever played.

Asked if he had enjoyed playing the part, he said: "I don't have any choice in the matter, but I don't mind. I really don't want this day to ever end."

He criticised the estate of Lord Of The Rings author JRR Tolkien for standing in the way of a museum to showcase the work of the artists, armourers and special effects experts which had gone into the trilogy.

"I hope the Tolkien Estate relents and allows New Zealand to have special Lord of the Rings events and the museum showing the craftmanshipused in the film. It would be something which New Zealanders would really appreciate."

The trilogy was primarily filmed between 1999 and 2000. At some stages Peter Jackson was directing actors in seven different locations at the same time over a video link.

But the digital wizardry used to throw battalions of orcs, gigantic war elephants and flying reptiles into tumultuous battle scenes has taken a further three years to complete.

The Return Of The King opens in London on 18 December.

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