Peter Jackson's Movie Museum in Wellington scrapped due to high costs

Peter Jackson's ambitious Movie Museum project in Wellington, New Zealand, has been abandoned due to its high cost of NZ$88 million. The museum, which would have housed Jackson's collection of film sets, props, and models—including the vintage car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—was planned for the city's waterfront convention center. After lengthy negotiations with the Wellington City Council, both parties agreed to a mutual separation. The Movie Museum Limited, founded by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Richard Taylor, and Tania Rodger, stated they remain committed to creating a film museum in Wellington and will explore other options. Meanwhile, the council, led by Mayor Justin Lester, is focusing on completing the convention center project, with a target for 2019. Within the convention center, 1,500 square meters will be allocated to exhibition spaces, managed in partnership with the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, which focuses on Maori culture and Pacific natural history. Lester highlighted the global resurgence of exhibition spaces blending art and technology, expecting the space to bring international content to New Zealand and provide a platform for local creative industries.