Oscars find their way home to Wellington

The Oscar kings have begun to return to Wellywood bearing their treasures after their conquest of Hollywood.

Special effects supremo Richard Taylor and film editor Jamie Selkirk were the first to return yesterday, getting a rapturous welcome at Wellington airport.

Proudly wearing caps emblazoned with 11 - the number of Oscars won by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - supporters and staff who worked on the film turned out in force. Giant polystyrene Oscar statues were also in the terminal.

Clutching their Oscars, Taylor and Selkirk appeared to cheers and applause.

"It's great to come home to Wellington," a grinning Taylor said.

He won two Oscars, for best costume design and best make-up. He already had two for his work on The Fellowship of the Ring.

"Everyone who worked at Weta all these years now has an Oscar. We've got one for each department," he said.

"They are just the most incredible group of people - we've just gone and collected these for them."

Proving his words, his Oscars were soon being passed around among the Weta crew, all keen to get a close-up look at the surprisingly weighty statuettes.

Though it was hard to top the world premiere of The Return of the King in Wellington, coming home with so many Oscars was fantastic, Taylor said.

"If ever there was a chance to show the Oscars aren't biased, this was it. They voted with their hearts."

Taylor was heading straight back to Weta, to get some work done on his next movie projects, King Kong and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

His partner, Tania Rodger, said it was great to be home. Hollywood and all the hype around the Academy Awards had been amazing, "but it's good to get home, back to the people you know".

Selkirk, whose Oscar was for best film editing, quickly got a taste of celebrity, with airport bystanders asking for autographs and photos.

"I'm still trying to get off cloud nine, it was such a huge party," he said.

Wife Ann Selkirk said the statuette would not be relegated to a mantelpiece.

"Oscar will stand on the kitchen bench where we can see it all the time."

But before it got there, Selkirk's Oscar spent the afternoon with Selkirk and a large group of supporters at the Capitol restaurant in central Wellington.

Given pride of place in the centre of the table, the statuette was the centre of attention with fellow diners, restaurant staff and even passers-by lining up for photographs.

Meanwhile, plans for a public celebration of The Return of the King's triumph are yet to be finalised.

Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast said she expected to make an announcement by today.

- NZPA