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for that same 32 nd Wellington Film Festival 18 July to 3
express purpose, in August 2003.
an elaborate
scheme that never June saw the company take over the
succeeded and management and film booking for the
years later allowed Movieland Group of cinemas until they were
Village Roadshow sold to Reading on 26 August.
to enter the New
Zealand exhibition Managing Director Stuart McInnes
market. announced in May 2004 that Hoyts were no
longer interested in developing the
An announcement Queensgate complex at Lower Hutt, but said
in May stated that that $1 million would be spent upgrading their
both companies Hoyts 5 Hutt City. The same month, ex-
would merge into a Dunedin manager James McIntosh was
new corporation to appointed South Island Regional Manager.
be known as The company was now fully entrenched in the
Village Force South Island. At the end of February 2005,
Hoyts Theatre booker Haydn Smith left the company and
Corporation N.Z. joined Reading. Lower Hutt manager, Nigel
Ltd. The new Forsyth, was appointed film booker and
concern would moved to Auckland.
control over 80%
of New Zealand In October, SkyCity Cinemas made Hoyts an
Century, Dunedin screens. So offer they just could not refuse for their 33.3%
confident were interest in the Auckland Queen Street location.
Everard Cinemas, which was slowly being they that the government of the day would just
squeezed by both Hoyts and Village Force, “rubber stamp” this arrangement, they had all Hoyts Regent Manners Mall had been losing
sold out to Hoyts in March 1994 (Everard had new stationery printed in advance. However, business since the nearby Reading
bought the assets of a bankrupt Pacer Kerridge the government refused to allow the merger to Courtenay Central opened in 2002. Because
on 21 January 1993) and refused to renew the proceed, saying monopolisation was not in the of low returns, distributors refused supply of
lease on the Embassy Theatre Wellington country's best interest. Independent theatre top product to the venue. Even Hoyts
which was picked up by Village Force owners wiped their brows and relaxed. Distribution placed their first release films
Cinemas. At this time, Hoyts and partner with Reading. Where the complex was
Endeavour controlled 53% of the New On 11 October 2001, Hoyts and De Luxe headed is probably best summed up towards
Zealand exhibition scene. Cinemas Ltd., who leased the Embassy the end of 2005, with the following display.
Theatre in Wellington, went into partnership “Regent on Manners' - Home of Quality
After five years of running Hoyts in New with Hoyts, taking over all film booking for Films. Now Showing HOUSE OF 1000
Zealand, Tony Murray moved to Hoyts Asian the theatre. Some years later, Hoyts CORPSES”.
operations and was replaced by Alistair Helm. terminated the arrangement.
30 March 2007 was a red letter day as Hoyts
Hoyts Wellington, which had undergone a After much success in Australia, Hoyts re- flagship opened - a large 10 screen complex at
massive $4 million dollar renovation since it entered the distribution market in February Sylvia Park Auckland, where the biggest
was closed in February, re-opened on 2002. Veteran retired industry executive screen in the world was installed, measuring
29 September 1995 as Hoyts 5 Manners Mall Lester McKellar was brought in to set up the 30.6 metres wide by 13 metres high, a
with two extra screens and total seating company. Once it was running, four weeks permanently fixed 35 mm screen. Admissions
capacity of 1014. Moorhouse Hoyts 8 screen later he handed it over to Gordon Adams. for the first week averaged 6000 per day.
complex in Christchurch, was now joined by Product from Icon Productions and Lionsgate Hoyts also moved head office from
the re-vamped 4 screen Regent on Worcester were two of the big names associated with the 120 Mayoral Drive to Sylvia Park.
which opened with much fanfare company in New Zealand. Highest grossing
13 December 1996. Seating 494 in total, it film for Hoyts Distribution in 2004 was In the South Island, Hoyts became tenants of
was Hoyts centre city location. More changes Passion of the Christ, which took $2.8 million Reading in April, when Reading Properties
were taking place as Hoyts firmly took control in the country. NZ Ltd, bought the Octagon Dunedin. Hoyts,
of the Christchurch situation with a 6 screen who were 14 years into a 20 year lease, was
complex at Northlands. At head office, Re-branding of Hoyts 5 Manners Mall began paying $566,397.79 per year rental, plus GST.
Wilfred Steiner replaced Alistair Helm as slowly in February 2003, beginning with a
general manager for New Zealand and, after name change to
two years, Alistair returned to Australia. Regent on Regent on Manners, Wellington
Manners, and by
In a move to consolidate their business March public
interests, the company announced in February association with the
1998 that they were buying the 50% share name 'Hoyts' had
they didn't own from Endeavour for NZ$39 been removed. This
million dollars, thereby giving them total was reinforced
ownership of Endeavour's exhibition interests. when they closed
their Wellington
Early in 1999, secret talks were held between Mid-City 5 on
Hoyts Cinemas N.Z. Ltd. and the Village 28 April (which
Force Corporation on a merger of both Amalgamated had
companies to control exhibition in New opened on 8 May
Zealand. It was not the first time this had 1987), although the
happened; it was tried in the 1930s and failed, complex re-opened
and in the 1970s Amalgamated Theatres and especially for the
Kerridge-Odeon had formed Skyline Cinemas

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