Rings-led Revolution

“New Zealand has had a day like no other”. The world premiere of The Return of the King in Wellington outshone all expectations, with a 100,000+ crowd lining the route of the spectacular grand parade in glorious Wellington sunshine. Actor Sean Astin described the event as “a moment of great national pride … it feels like a little bit of history here.” Massive world-wide coverage confirmed the hype: Guardian, Salon, Independent, CNN, Taipei Times, Arizona Republic, San Francisco Chronicle … The Scotsman proclaimed “Forget Hollywood. Welcome to Wellywood, the new film capital of the world.” A Sydney Morning Herald feature perfectly captured the magnitude of the trilogy in terms of propelling NZ onto a world stage: “The work that was put together to make Gollum or to do the orcs or to do the big military scenes is simply the world’s best …” Of all the industries brushed by Rings magic – from post-production houses to fabric producers – tourism has benefited the most; NZ’s $6 billion tourism industry is expected to overtake dairy as the nation’s largest export earner next year. For the man at the helm, Peter Jackson, the premiere was stunning affirmation as Wellington turned on the crowd and a perfect wind-less day. Even the usually sober Economist falls under the spell: “Wellington’s film-makers are enjoying their close-up.” PJ: “I’m feeling incredibly humbled by this wonderful reception.”