Embassy Theatre Reviews and Photos, Wellington

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Embassy Theatre

May 2, 2006
Rated 4 of 5 by stomps from Houston, Texas

On my first trip to Wellington, my friend and I realized on the ferry that we had forgotten to look for the Embassy Theatre, Peter Jackson's darling theatre that hosted the world premiere of the Return of the King in 2003 after the actors were part of a parade witnessed by 100,000 people. Little did we know what we had actually walked past it three times, since it is located where Courtenay Place runs into Cambridge and Kent Terraces--literally a block from our hostel!

So, the second time around, when I walked out of my hostel, it was one of the first things I noticed. It's a nice looking theater and is rather prominent, which made it all the more surprising that we had missed it the first time around.

This theater was one of the first to open in Wellington, in 1924, under the name "de Lux." Unfortunately, it was "modernised" and therefore, slowly ruined, until Peter Jackson decided to put his hand in and help the Embassy Theatre trust refurbish it. And what a refurbishment they did--this was certainly the most striking theater I'd ever been in, and a far cry from the 30-theater cineplexes back home! This did show in the price of a ticket, however, with the cheapest being $12.50 or so and the better seats coming in at at least $18.

Sadly, having arrived a good year and a half after LOTR fever had died down, none of the LOTR movies were showing in the cinema during my trip. I was disappointed, but fortunately they were showing a reasonable movie--Hitch. When I bought my ticket, I actually got to choose my actual seat in the theater.

The inside of the theatre was grand and really reminded me of photos I had seen of old time, high-class theaters. There was a chandelier and lush red carpet leading up the stairs; on the next level there was not only the typical theatre concessions but also what seemed to be a few clubs where you could have a glass of wine before the show.

The inside of the theatre was amazing as well--the screen was huge and the seats were the best I had ever sat in in a theatre, and I didn't even get the most expensive leather seats! Being 6 feet tall, I normally have a problem with leg room, but here I didn't have that problem at all. Many of the seats have plaques for the people that donated money, including the entire cast of LOTR. I saw Dominic Monaghan (Merry), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Sean Astin (Sam), and Orlando Bloom's seats on the way out--I recognized Orlando's seat since it was missing a plaque--the theatre gave up trying to replace it after so many thefts!

I think that, even if I hadn't enjoyed the movie, I still would have enjoyed the experience at this theatre as a whole. Especially if LOTR is showing, which it periodically does, the Embassy is definitely worth a visit!

From journal A Closer Look at Wellington

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Lord of the Rings

March 5, 2004
Rated 5 of 5 by Globe from Salt Lake City, Utah

The Embassy Theatre was the site of the world premiere for the third Lord of the Rings movie, Return of the King. All the stars flocked to Wellington for a parade through the city center that ended at this theater, which had been completely renovated for the event. Although the buzz has died down by now, you can still feel the excitement in the air when you step into the Embassy. The building has the feel of a classy old theater, with chandeliers, mirrors, and lush red carpeting. This is THE place to watch the movie, no matter how many times you have seen it already. The price is the same as the other theaters in town, but the experience is completely unique. The theater is huge, holding possibly 400 people. The deep, large seats provide unprecedented legroom, and the ones in the front even recline slightly. The screen is massive, the largest I have ever seen. The sound is excellent and really gets you involved in the film. I had never seen any of the three LOTR films, and I came out of this theater a big fan.

From journal Wellington Weekend