Former All Black captain heads for silver screen

David Kirk. Photo / Dean Purcell

David Kirk has moved from newsprint to the silver screen with a role as chairman of Hoyts Theatre Group.

The group has 45 cinemas and 400 screens across Australia and New Zealand.

Kirk first headed newsprint company Norske Skog in Australia and New Zealand.

Then he became chief of Australian printing company PMP before being appointed CEO of newspaper giant Fairfax Media in 2005.

He was at Fairfax until December last year, when he was replaced by new-broom chief executive Brian McCarthy.

Now the former All Black captain is in the film business.

Hoyts is one of the largest independent movie distributors in the region and is the second-largest exhibitor in New Zealand behind SkyCity Cinemas.

Kirk said he was looking forward to the company's next stage of development, particularly the rollout of digital cinema.

Meanwhile, the third-largest cinema operator in New Zealand - United States-based Reading - is understood to be still negotiating to buy the New Zealand master franchise to Burger King.

Reading sources suggested that the offer had to be completed by June 30, a deadline that has now passed.

Another party is understood to have expressed an interest. Burger King said yesterday it was still negotiating a sale.

- AAP