Update from Dom Post: Sir Peter Jackson has stepped in to ensure Hobbit fans who fell victim to an Embassy Theatre ticketing error see the movie ”possibly even a minute or two before anyone else”. Tolkien Society New Zealand chapter founder Jack Machiela was one of about 60 people who queued outside the Wellington cinema to be among the first in the world to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on The Embassy’s giant screen when public screenings begin at midnight on December 12. But when the ticket office opened, all the tickets to the first screening on the big screen had been snapped up online. [Read more] [Discuss]
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The Embassy Theatre in Wellington opened the box office at midnight last night to sell Hobbit first-screening tickets – but unfortunately midnight screening tickets went onsale online a few minutes before the box office opened, and no tickets were set aside for sale to fans who were waiting. Seats were sold out before most people there could get to the head of the queue. I was there, and can vouch for the fact that people who had waited there for hours were furious and very disappointed. The DominionPost has a full report.
Given the box office debacle, it’s a good thing we had a visit from the cheerful Barry and his son from Stansborough Mill,who were showing off their loom-woven woollen cloaks and new Gandalf scarf (with mithril!) They’re 2.5 metres of sparkly goodness.
Barry from Stansborough, modelling cloaks and scarves for the line partyJack and Alex Machiela, of the Tolkien Society, at line party before learning there were no tickets
On Sunday, we reported that Regal Cinemas are hosting a Lord of the Rings marathon screening across the US on 8th December. We can now confirm that AMC Cinemas will also be hosting a marathon on Saturday 8th December. Cinemark is joining the fun with screenings on both December 8 and 9.
Timings are a little different from those listed for Regal Cinemas – and may vary from cinema to cinema for AMC. Timings given for a Boston AMC theatre, for example, were The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at 10 a.m., The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers at 2.20 p.m. and ending with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at 7:00 p.m. All three movies will be the Extended Editions.
Cinemark reports a uniform 11 a.m. start times for Fellowship and a ROTK start time at 7:35. They are also offering concessions discounts. Ticket prices are $25, matching AMC’s, but $30 for its handful of XD or extreme digital auditoriums. Check with your local AMC to see if they are taking part. Theater listings for Cinemark can be found right here. Between the three chains, most fans will be covered so see you in Middle-earth!
In his latest post in his website, Ian McKellen writes about his anticipation of the Wellington, New York and London premieres of The Hobbit. He also talks about the heavy media commitments that come with the film:
I’ve been busy talking to journalists (about 70 so far) and reminiscing about the shoot. Their opening question is usually identical: “So, what was it like going back to New Zealand, a decade after LOTR. Did it feel the same?”
Fantastic news from Jack Machiela, who runs the Tolkien Society’s Wellington branch. “Wellington NZ is having a Hobbit Line party TOMORROW night! The Embassy Theatre has agreed to open the Box Office line for us at Midnight 12:01am on EARLY Wednesday morning, so we’re all turning up at 11:30pm tomorrow night. Hopefully people will turn up in costumes as well… :)”
To prepare for the U.S. release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” on December 14th, Regal Cinemas has announced that they will be presenting a marathon of the “Lord of the Rings” Extended Editions at 293 participating Regal theaters across the United States on Saturday, December 8th. The marathon (with a special introduction by Sir Peter Jackson) will start with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” at 11:15 a.m., The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers at 3:30 p.m. and ending with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at 8:00 p.m.
Regal Crown Club members can enjoy an exclusive offer of $25 for all three movies, which also includes a coupon good for a Lord of the Rings Combo of a medium popcorn and medium drink for only $5. Non-member tickets will be $30.
Tickets for the marathon go on sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 7th – the same day as tickets for The Hobbit! To find a theater near you hosting the trilogy screening, check the Regal Cinemas website.
Jack from Welly-moot, Wellington’s Tolkien group, has been in touch with us, and it looks like Wellington may have a Line Party coming up sooner than you’d expect – next week, in fact! Here’s what Jack says:
‘We held Welly-moot (the meeting of Wellington’s Tolkien enthusiasts) at the Embassy Theatre yesterday. I spoke to the Elly, the manager there, and asked her when Hobbit tickets to the December 13th opening would be available. She said at 12:01am Nov 7th (online), and 09:00am next morning (physical box office). I asked her if she would consider opening the physical box office at midnight as well, and she said she’d consider it IF she got enough demand for it.
So: if you are in Wellington and you want to join fellow fans to stand in line for tickets, please send an email to Elly, the manager of Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, at “manager@deluxe.co.nz” with a subject of “Please open the Box Office at 12:01am, Nov 7th for Hobbit Tickets!”. If the box office opens, I plan to be there on the night – let’s see how many others we can get to join us!’
There you have it, Wellington fans – a call to arms! It goes without saying, please be nice when you email Elly at the Embassy – we wish you luck in getting the first Line Party going! Register your interest also at our Line Party page – and remember, wherever in the world you are, you can join a Line Party or start your own! Just join our Line Party community!
