The making of the Hobbit movie trilogy has cost more than half a billion dollars so far, twice the amount spent on the three films in the Lord of the Rings series.
Up to the end of March the movies' costs were $676 million, and that figure is likely to rise, with further outlay on shooting and post-production.
It makes the trilogy one of the most expensive movie productions in history - but the trilogy has already paid for itself. The first film alone has already taken in more than $1 billion at the box office.
Figures filed with the Companies Office by Warner Brothers subsidiary Three Foot Seven show New Zealand taxpayers have contributed $98 million to the making of the movies.
