( CNN ) -- `` Hobbit '' mania is in full swing in New Zealand this week , where all three of the Peter Jackson-directed movies based on the work of J.R.R . Tolkien were filmed . Wellington International Airport has unveiled a new installation featuring two realistic `` great eagles '' from the `` The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug , '' the second in the trilogy . The film 's world premier will take place on December 2 in Los Angeles . Meanwhile , Air New Zealand is showing off a new livery featuring the title character on one of its planes . The airport 's new sculptures were created by Wellington 's Weta Workshop -- the same team that built props and designed physical effects for `` The Hobbit '' and `` The Lord of the Rings '' trilogies . Each eagle weighs approximately one ton , with a wingspan of 15 feet . The wizard Gandalf is depicted riding on one of the eagles . `` We were thrilled to return and create another installation for Wellington Airport , '' said Weta 's Richard Taylor , who oversaw the project . `` What could be more suitable for an airport in Middle Earth than Gandalf the Grey atop a great eagle swooping into the terminal , such an evocative image from 'The Hobbit ' and a fantastic and challenging project for our artists to design and build . '' The giant eagles appeared at the end of the previous Hobbit movie , `` An Unexpected Journey , '' and twice in `` The Lord of the Rings . '' They act as aids to Gandalf and his companions , rescuing them from the bleakest of circumstances . That they 're now being displayed in celebration of the upcoming film , `` The Desolation of Smaug , '' suggests that the eagles will yet play other parts in `` The Hobbit '' trilogy . The sculpture joins an existing installation featuring Gollum fishing for trout , which is suspended above the airport 's food court . It 's become a tourist attraction , with visitors driving to the airport just to take photos beneath it . Air New Zealand 's new Hobbit livery . Over the weekend , Air New Zealand -- also working with Weta -- unveiled a new livery on one of the airline 's Boeing 777-300s . The livery features the dragon known as Smaug stretched out along the plane . This is the first time the full design of the highly anticipated character has been released to the public . `` To see Smaug fly off the big screen and into the skies like this is pretty exciting , '' said director Peter Jackson in a statement . `` We 're proud to debut him here in New Zealand , where our team has worked so hard to bring him to life . '' Air New Zealand also recently released a new Hobbit-themed commercial starring Dean O'Gorman ( Fili the dwarf ) and the voice of Sylvester McCoy ( the wizard Radagast ) , continuing its history of using the films to promote New Zealand . Last year , for the world premier of the first Hobbit film , Air New Zealand teamed up with Weta to design a Hobbit-themed livery for one of its Boeing 777-300 aircraft , which it used to transport the actors back to New Zealand and then buzz the crowds along the red carpet later with a flyby . Since the first film debuted , Air New Zealand has offered Hobbit-themed flights and put out a popular Hobbit flight-safety video using cast members and other actors in costumes . The airline is currently screening the extended edition of `` The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey '' on all international flights . Capitalizing on the films ' fame . Weta has long been the public face of New Zealand 's movie capital , Wellington . While its main workshop is n't open to the public , an adjoining Weta Cave in the suburb of Miramar is open for visitors , offering a mini-museum and behind the scenes documentary screening , as well as movie prop reproductions for purchase . The `` Window Into Workshop '' is a separate tour that allows visitors to watch Weta artists work on art pieces , view more of the actual props used in `` Lord of the Rings '' and other films and learn about the process of creating props for the film industry . Hobbit madness does n't stop there . Last year the city of Wellington was redecorated and temporarily renamed The Middle of Middle Earth , hosting a red-carpet event for the world premiere of `` The Hobbit '' that ran through the city . While it wo n't host the world premiere this year , there are still several parties and advance screenings planned around town . Meanwhile , Tourism New Zealand and Warner Brothers have teamed up for `` The Book of New Zealand '' in Hollywood , a five-day VIP publicity event to market the new Hobbit film and New Zealand as a film location destination . The large display features four reassembled film sets from the movie , and will be open to fans on December 4 only . Following its December 2 world premiere in Los Angeles , `` The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug '' will open in New Zealand on December 9 .
Wellington International Airport unveils sculpture of `` great eagles '' from `` The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug '' at the airport in Wellington, New Zealand on July 26, 2015. All three films in the `` Hobbit '' trilogy were shot in New Zealand .