Watch as New Zealand becomes Middle-Earth for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in this featurette

Whether you love the trailer for THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG or not, you cannot deny that the new Peter Jackson trilogy still captures the majestic and beautiful landscapes of Middle-Earth as portrayed by the New Zealand countryside. For other franchises that would have resorted to green screen vistas, Jackson and crew were able to film in New Zealand and turn the natural setting into an amazing big screen wonder.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS promoted New Zealand better than any travel agency could have and as the crew returned to film THE HOBBIT, I knew a featurette like this would come soon. As THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG approaches, this video shows how the films turned our world into the world of elves, hobbits, and dwarves. Despite already having filmed the first trilogy, a lot of work was needed to recreate sets dismantled after finishing THE RETURN OF THE KING as well as constructing new ones for locations specific to THE HOBBIT.

Check out this cool little clip complete with cast and crew interviews. THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG opens December 13, 2013.