Wellington's sole surviving grand picture palace opened in 1924 as the Deluxe and changed its name to the Embassy in 1945. A multimillion-dollar deal allowed the Cinema and Performing Arts Trust, including the 'Lord of the Rings' film director Peter Jackson, to take over the theatre in 1997. The 800-seat theatre was restored with a state of the art sound system. For cinema purists, who do not like the small multiplex theatres, this is the only way to watch a movie as a recent showing of 'Star Wars Episode 1' verified.