The world premiere of the final Lord of the Rings movie could be taken away from the New Zealand capital, Wellington, in a row over the state of its biggest cinema.

The city's council has changed its mind over providing NZ$7m (US$4m, £2.5m) needed to restore the run-down Embassy cinema and improve its earthquake protection.

Film studio New Line has now threatened to move the prestigious event to Los Angeles, while Auckland has offered to step in as host city.

Much of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in New Zealand, and director Peter Jackson lives in Wellington.

At the première of the second film, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, at the Embassy, Jackson and New Line said they would return to Wellington for the final première.

But according to the Dominion Post newspaper, Mayor Kerry Prendergast said the council would now provide about NZ$2m ($1.15m, £700,000).

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