Television's red carpet stampede

Expect a bit of media shoving and jostling along the red carpet in Wellington on Monday week for the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Lord knows how many international media will be there - quite a few, we suspect - but as far as local telly goes, the presence will be heavy as well. TV One's Paul Holmes and Kate Hawkesby will be live from the 450m-long red carpet leading into the Embassy Theatre, as will 3 News' extended bulletin with John Campbell, Hilary Barry and Carolyn Robinson.

On TV One the celebration will incorporate a condensed One News and Holmes, and a weather broadcast live from "Hobbiton" in Matamata. But there's more. Sky Movies is also showing a live, 90-minute, red-carpet special hosted by Stephen McIvor and Jo Hathaway.

And if you can't make it, Sky Movies is screening film two of the trilogy, The Two Towers that same night - just the thing to tickle the taste buds for the general release of ROTK on December 18. The first screening takes place at 12.01am.

AND MORE: The first public screening in New Zealand of ROTK is December 17 at 6.30pm, at Village SkyCity Cinemas in Broadway, Newmarket. It's a $100-a-head charity screening, with proceeds going to the Starship Foundation. Buyers will go into a draw to win a replica of Strider's sword, crafted by Weta Workshop's Peter Lyon, with his signature and that of Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor engraved into the blade. Tickets can be bought from the Starship website or ph (09) 307 4957.

AS WELL: As if all that's not enough, diehards who can get to Village SkyCity theatres in Queen St can enjoy extended versions of the first LOTR from December 4 to 10, and of the second from December 11 to 16. On December 17, there is a back-to-back marathon, with all three movies screening (with breaks), starting at 3.20pm with Fellowship, Two Towers from 7.40pm, then ROTK from 12.01am. As Gandalf says in the film, "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you".

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings