A capital homecoming to Middle-earth
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| Wellington becomes Middle-earth. |
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The Lord of the Rings fever had hit New Zealand's capital in a big way, and the city was abuzz with excitement. The interior of the much loved Embassy Theatre was lavishly restored to its 1920's glory just in the nick of the time, a nine metre high giant cave troll adorning its front façade. Streets around Courtenay place, home to all the bars, restaurants and nightclubs you could want, were closed off in preparation for the red carpet parade and street party. Banners, posters and flyers depicting scenes and characters from the movie were everywhere, even at the customs desk at Wellington International Airport!
But that was far from all. If you thought you were visiting Wellington around the time of the premiere, you'd be forgiven for getting a little confused when you consulted your inner city map. Wellington had proudly renamed itself Middle-earth for a week, even changing street names in honour of the movie. The city's Evening Post paper became 'The Middle-earth Post', and the TV weather report referred to Middle-earth instead of Wellington! Many local businesses also temporarily rebranded, with names such as 'Middle-earth motorcycles'.
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| Wellington city – renamed Middle-earth for a week. |
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For Peter Jackson, his dedicated team and those cast members who came to call New Zealand 'home' during the long months of filming, it all made for a capital homecoming. And Wellington's excitement will last for a while yet. As fans eagerly await the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, a two million dollar exhibition celebrating Middle-earth is due to open at the city's National Museum, Te Papa, the day after the Wellington premiere.
Developed over the past two years, the exhibition features original material from the three films and is big on interactive components. Visitors will get a chance to experience some of the film's special effects wizardry first hand, as well as getting a close look at props, costumes and other tools of the trade. The Level 4 Tower Gallery at Te Papa will become yet another piece of Middle-earth in New Zealand!
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