Fitting send off for Peter Jackson, lord of the Hobbit

AFTER 17 years immersed in directing The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit films, Peter Jackson’s immediate plans for a future without the fantasy series are firmly grounded in reality.

“I can go to the beach now,” says the droll 53-year-old Kiwi, prompting huffs of laughter from his all-star cast who are sitting alongside him to discuss the final Hobbit movie, The Battle Of The Five Armies.

“As you can tell, he does that a lot,” snorts Evangeline Lilly, who plays strong-willed elf warrior Tauriel in the trilogy.