Banana-waving fans swarm red carpet for glimpse of Jackson

Peter Jackson and his daughter Katie on the red carpet in Wellington. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Thousands of fans this evening crowded Courtenay Place in Wellington for New Zealand premiere of Peter Jackson's King Kong, waving inflatable bananas and a variety of homemade signs.

Taking the stage after an hour-long red carpet trawl meeting his adoring public, Jackson told the crowd it was "a great day for a party".

"I don't know if I deserve a party so soon after the last one," he said, referring to the massive spectacle Wellington turned on for The Return of the King world premiere.

King Kong was "very much a Wellington film", Jackson said.

"Whereas Lord of the Rings was shot all over the country, King Kong is 100 per cent Wellington.

"At the premiere in New York, there were all these tough New Yorkers tearing up (beginning to cry) at the sight of the Empire State Building - they didn't realise they were looking up the Hutt Valley!"

He thanked "the hard-working Weta Workshop team", dozens of whom had jammed themselves onto a raised platform outside a Courtenay Place bar, causing them to burst into deafening cheers.

"They weren't so excited when they were working 24 hours' a day and sleeping under their computers in their sleeping bags," Jackson remarked wryly.

Naomi Watts, looking radiant in a diaphanous floral dress with butterfly sleeves, said she had to be "a bit of a tomboy" on set with an all-male cast.

"Luckily I grew up with a big brother - and I had Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh around for a bit of girly input when needed."

She credited Andy Serkis - "the most extraordinary actor" - for making her performance "its truth" by creating such a believable King Kong.

Serkis, who was wearing a pink t-shirt with King Kong's face picked out in silver studs, said the "mute" role was a challenge.

"We had to show this relationship evolving just using body and face...

"It was quite important that King Kong was a real gorilla."

As well as spending time at London Zoo bonding with primates, Serkis even went to Rawanda to observe them in the wild.

One particular gorilla took quite a fancy to the actor, and actually went into a jealous rage when his wife came to visit, throwing a water bottle at her.

Leading man Adrien Brody, coolly resplendent in an open-neck shirt and puce velvet suit, raised a cheer from the crowd by saying, "Wellington, this is fun!".

Signing autographs with a practised hand while simultaneously conducting media interviews, he said the trick with red carpet appearances was to "keep it moving".

But after the long red carpet walk, the stars obviously did not feel up to sitting through a three-hour film.

A convoy of silver SUVs picked them up from a backdoor of the Embassy Theatre and whisked them away to perhaps let them put their feet up for a couple of hours before tonight's after-film party at the Great Hall at Massey University.

Other home-grown celebrities to grace the red carpet included former All Black rugby player-turned-ballroom dancer Norm Hewitt and his aerobics champ wife Arlene Thomas, actor Karl Urban, fashion designer Trelise Cooper, All Black Daniel Carter and his partner, New Zealand hockey representative Honor Dillon.

One innovative group of fans took advantage of national media exposure to propose marriage to Carter via their sign, and the good-humoured crowd was entertained by pub bands and stilt performers.


Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast said it "safe to say we have another hit on our hands".


"Once again Wellington is in the spotlight and she's performing like the star she is," she said, referring to glorious weather.


Tourism Minister Trevor Mallard credited Jackson, Taylor and all their team with creating a world class move-making industry in New Zealand.


"It's moments like these that make me proud to be a Kiwi," he said.

Fan Wanda McAroe, all the way from Omagh in Northern Ireland, said she had come to New Zealand because of The Lord of the Rings.

Having travelled around the country for a few weeks she had to be in Wellington for the Kong premiere.

"I've been here since 2pm (about three hours) and I'm having a wonderful time."

Swedish tourist Caroline Hansson said it was "a dream come true" to be in New Zealand and to be able to see Jackson, her hero, in person.

"Everyone in Sweden loves Peter Jackson" she said. "I've always wanted to come here."

The Weta team have recreated the facade of New York's Alhambra Theatre, which features in the film, in front of Wellington's Embassy Theatre the venue for the premiere.

Despite stifling heat, brave extras wandered the red carpet dressed in 1930s garb - including nylon stockings, fox furs, woollen suits and cloth hats. 

- NZPA