New Zealanders hold protest to keep 'The Hobbit'

Thousands of people have gathered around New Zealand to rally against "The Hobbit" films moving offshore.

Rallies were held on Monday afternoon in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Queenstown and Matamata (where the Hobbiton sets have been built).

Organizers of the rallies said they were timed to coincide with the visit of Warner Brothers movie executives to discuss moving the two-film adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy away from New Zealand.

The three executives were expected to meet the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, in Wellington on Tuesday.

Weta Workshop is the special effects and prop company who produced sets, costumes, weapons and creatures for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Managing director Sir Richard Taylor said the rallies aimed to send a message that New Zealand was the "greatest place in the world" to make movies including "The Hobbit."

Last week, Jackson said studio representatives would be in New Zealand "to make arrangements to move the production offshore".