Updated: October 09, 2025 08:36 am IST
The owners of a cafe who claimed filmmaker Peter Jackson was forcing them to close have now said their claims were false and have apologized to the director.
After causing a major controversy when a popular New Zealand cafe claimed that filmmaker Peter Jackson was pressuring the establishment to close, the cafe’s owners have now admitted that their claim was false. In a statement, the owners of the Chocolate Fish Café have apologized to the Lord of the Rings director and his partner, Fran Walsh.
Cafe apologizes to Peter Jackson for false claims
New Zealand-born Peter Jackson, best known for his Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, purchased the historic Submarine Barracks property in Wellington with partner Fran Walsh in 2023. At the time, the couple said they wanted to restore the “natural beauty” of the area.
But last week, Chocolate Fish Café, which operates from the property, issued a statement claiming the famous landlord was terminating its lease, pleading for another chance. However, on Wednesday he clarified that Jackson and Walsh were not personally responsible for the closure.
“We apologize to Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh for falsely claiming that they were involved in the decision to end our tenancy,” they said in a statement. “We were completely wrong, and it’s important for us to let you know.”
Earlier, Wingnut PM, the property arm of Jackson & Walsh’s Wingnut Group, had said it was “discussing occupancy” with café owners from 2024. The redevelopment plan aims to “rejuvenate the city and provide a public amenity for all Wellingtonians to enjoy”, the company said in a statement to the NZ Herald newspaper. The company or their owners did not respond to the café’s claims or subsequent apology.
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Peter Jackson first came to Hollywood fame with the 1995 film Heavenly Creatures, which earned an Oscar nomination. He directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–03), which grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide and won 17 Oscars. Jackson followed this with his adaptation of King Kong, before returning to JRR Tolkien’s work with The Hobbit Trilogy (2012–14), which grossed just under $3 billion at the box office.
,with AFP input,
