Cinemas Report "Unprecedented" Sales For NZ Movies

9 December 2005

Cinemas Report "Unprecedented" Sales For NZ Movies

Unprecedented demand for tickets to New Zealand made movies Narnia and King Kong has seen more than 8000 tickets pre-sold at Village SKYCITY Cinemas.

Close to 6000 tickets have been sold for Narnia's first week of screening and more than 2000 for King Kong.

CEO Village SKYCITY Cinemas, Joe Moodabe says that some evening sessions for King Kong and Narnia have already sold out around the circuit and at the new Gold Class cinemas.

"Tonight Narnia has only limited seats left for central city locations, but there are still seats available at suburban locations," he says.

Gold Class cinemas, which opened to the public today, report pleasing ticket sales since sales opened for the first time on Tuesday this week. Tonight, Narnia is sold out for the 8:15pm session and the 8:15pm session is sold out for tomorrow night. King Kong is sold out for the 7:30pm screening at Gold Class cinemas on opening night (Wednesday 14 December).

"Hamilton sales have also been strong with sell-out sessions for Narnia and King Kong in the opening week for both movies."

Cinemas throughout the country report the midnight opening sessions for both movies have drawn a solid hard-core cinema audience. Narnia The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe opened to the public at one minute past midnight (this morning) and King Kong opens to the public at midnight next week (Wednesday 14 December).

Mr Moodabe says the launch of Gold Class this month is ideal as we enter a "golden era in the history of New Zealand movie making."

"The next few months puts New Zealand filmmaking in the spotlight with fantastic local movies opening virtually back-to-back. Last month with The World's Fastest Indian and this month with Narnia and King Kong. Early in 2006 there's River Queen (by award winning local director Vincent Ward), North Country (directed by New Zealand's Nikki Caro and starring Charlize Theron), Number Two (Toa Fraser), Sione's Wedding (from Oscar Kightley and the makers of Bro-Town) as well as Legend of Zorro (NZ Director Martin Campbell) and Perfect Creature (Glenn Standring)."

Gold Class cinemas located at Village SKYCITY Cinemas Queen Street, offer two Gold Class auditoria, one with 30 seats and one with 40 seats, complete with full-sized movie screens, waiters and a fully licensed bar with two exclusive lounge areas. Tickets cost $25 through to $35 each (depending on the day of the week and session time) with special group or corporate rates.

Complete with sweeping wall-to-wall screens and superb state-of-the-art digital surround sound, Gold Class is more like relaxing in the comfort of your own private luxury theatrette. Electrically operated, fully reclining armchairs arranged in pairs, complete with footrests, personal tables enable patrons to be waited on hand and foot.

"The Gold Class experience is unlike anything else currently offered in New Zealand and is one of the most exciting developments in the New Zealand cinema industry for a long time," says Mr Moodabe.

The Gold Class screens at Village SKYCITY Cinemas in Queen Street are the first to offer the Gold Class luxury cinema experience. The next to offer the Gold Class touch - also on two screens - will be Village SKYCITY Cinema's soon-to-be-completed, nine-screen complex at Queensgate Mall in Lower Hutt, Wellington (planned to open mid April 2006).

Village SKYCITY Cinemas are located in Hamilton and Auckland (Broadway Newmarket, Highland Park Pakuranga, Manukau, West City Henderson, Westgate, St Lukes and Queen Street - Auckland City). Recently, Village SKYCITY Cinemas purchased the operational management of the historic Embassy Theatre in Wellington.

In addition, Village SKYCITY Cinemas' plans are well under way for two new complexes to be completed in conjunction with Westfield next year: a six-screen complex at Westfield Chartwell Mall in Hamilton and the previously-mentioned nine-screen complex at Westfield Queensgate Mall in Lower Hutt. Village SKYCITY Cinemas is a joint venture between Village Roadshow and SKYCITY Leisure.

ENDS

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