Wellington goes Ring crazy

World premiere

For the third, and hopefully last, time, Wellington was in the grip of LoTR mania. The entire city had been decked with flags, banners and images from the films, the cinema had been refurbished, the champagne had been chilled, the red carpet was back from the laundry and everything wass set for the opening night to end all opening nights.

The stars arrived one by one in the week leading up to the premiere on 1 December, and the paper hardly contained any actual news for weeks. This is the nazgul that Weta made for the Embassy theatre, the main premiere theatre - although so many guests were invited that it became necessary to hire most of the 12-screen Reading multiplex as well. (Yes, Weta promptly made another, smaller Nazgul, for them too). This one is HUGE - its wingspan is apparently the same as that of a Boeing 747, and as you can see, it has an impressive set of gnashers.

An invasion of trolls

Creatures from the movies started to turn up all over the city in the most unlikely of places. This cave troll had its picture taken at least 500 times a day in Civic Square, where I have lunch on nice days.

Messing around with paint

As part of New Line's continuous quest for free publicity, they invited all shops along the parade route (the parade that will take the stars up to the red carpet and the theatre) to take part in a window dressing competition. The Unity management lost its head somewhat in the excitement, and recklessly agreed to let me fool around with paints and brushes, not to mention knives and scrapers and other dangerous implements. The result is that a new business has apparently opened its doors right next to Unity - Hobbiton Books, purveyors of the finest literature, maps and stationery in Hobbiton. The window being small and situated rather close to the ground, it is hard to photograph this establishment, but it looks like a respectable business and a pleasant place to browse - just like Unity.

This boy had spent the waiting time getting face painting in the style of a traditional Maori facial tattoo, or moko

The Big Day dawned hot and clear and beautiful, and on Courtenay Place the excitement climbed steadily throughout the morning. Much of the city centre was closed to traffic, and grandstands and huge screens were rigged up in several places to allow everyone a good view. By 10 am, some two thousand fans were already gathered, and thousands more clustered around the parade route, and particularly around the red carpet, as the afternoon wore on.

English fans waiting outside the Reading Cinema

Fans relaxing as they defend their staked-out spaces next to the fence

The great parade of the stars and dignitaries, which proceeded from the Parliament and wound its way through the city centre into Courtenay Place, was led by these Maori warriors. There was also a phalanx of serene Maori women, all wearing traditional clothes, headbands and chin-mokos.

The stars got out of the open-topped cars they'd been riding in just down the street from where I was standing, and started walking up the red carpet, which stretched for most of a kilometre (!) right up to the Embassy Theatre. I was surprised how crowded that carpet became (given that there were actually only a handful of stars) once they started walking - there were media people and interviewers and camera men and functionaries and hangers-on and minders with their fingers in their ears every which way, great clusters of them around each VIP. It was really pretty difficult to get good pictures, even though I was very nearly right up at the fence. Anyway, here goes. (Note: As usual, you can click on these pictures to see them bigger, but be aware that some have been enlarged quite a bit and so do not have great resolution).

Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) was on a roll, clearly having a very good time. He sported a panama hat (except in this pic) and spent lots of time talking to fans.

Orlando Bloom (Legolas) displays his 'I Love NZ' T-shirt (which saved him from having to say anything intelligent all day) while Billy Boyd (Pippin) signs

Andy Serkis (Gollum) was in great demand to sign the "Gollum for PM' flyers, and looked as glam as can be in a very dapper suit - miles from Gollum's sense of style.

It was clear that the crowd *loved* Peter Jackson. He looked pleased but a little overwhelmed, and carried his own camera which he used frequently.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) and Orlando ham it up for the crowds. Viggo was in Unity three or four times during the last week, and proved to be a thoroughly wonderful person. I>

John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) wore a lovely blue garland, and spent so much time talking to fans that his minder had to pull him away.

Here's Viggo again, signing some more autographs. He delighted the crowds by saying a few words in Maori when interviewed.

Elijah, for some reason, was kept away from the carpet, spending most of his time talking to media right in front of the Embassy, and this rather crappy effort was the best picture I could get of him. (Taken while hanging by one elbow off the side of a grandstand, 2 m above the ground. Not bad, huh).

Another reasonably crap picture of Sean Astin (Sam) and Elijah, during the speeches in front of the Embassy. Sean, sounding very sincere, said New Zealand and its people restored his faith in humankind in these dark times. And Elijah's suit may have been awful, but at least it fitted, which is more than can be said for Sean's.

There were heaps of orcs, elves, hobbits, Gondorian soldiers, rangers and Uruk-Hai wandering about, as well. The costumes and the make-up is just as impressive up close as it was in the film.

These rangers of Ithilien patrolled the roof of the Reading Cinema.

A Southron warrior skips along the red carpet. This was one of my favourite costume designs in the movie. It must have been a mite hot for this poor guy, though.h

All too soon, the speeches were over, the lights went off, the stars disappeared into the Embassy and the sun began to set over Wellington. It had doubtlessly been one of the greatest days in the city's history, and the partying and celebration went on far into the night.
As for me, I went home to Lyall Bay and crashed into bed, feeling sunburnt and drained, and with over 140 photographs in my camera. The cream of that crop are on this page, but this one is my favourite. (You may have to look at it bigger in order to see the writing, depending on your screen).