Embassy Theatre, Movie theater in Wellington, New Zealand.
The Embassy Theatre stands at the eastern end of Courtenay Place, beneath Mount Victoria. Designed by Llewelyn Williams in the classical style, it opened in 1924 with 1,749 seats. Its interior has a marble staircase with brass fittings, tiled walls and floors, and dark wooden fixtures. It now holds three screens, the largest among the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The theater opened on October 31, 1924, and was later recognized as a Category 1 historic place by Heritage New Zealand. This recognition reflects its architectural importance to the city's development.
The theatre was renamed The Embassy in 1945, having opened as De Luxe. It hosts screenings for the New Zealand International Film Festival and the New Zealand International Arts Festival. Blondini's Cafe and Jazz Lounge, on the ground floor, stages live jazz and serves food and drink.
The theatre sits at the eastern end of Courtenay Place, beneath Mount Victoria, a short walk from the Courtenay Place bus stops. The main entrance and ground-floor Black Sparrow bar and two smaller cinemas are at street level; the large auditorium is reached by the marble staircase. Blondini's Cafe and Jazz Lounge serves food and drink inside the building.
The building hosted the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. This event connected the venue's long history with Wellington's growing role in the film industry.
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