SYDNEY, Oct 5 — A popular New Zealand cafe said it will be forced to close next year after the property's high-profile owner, Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, ended its lease as part of a wider redevelopment plan.

Jackson, best known for directing the "Lord of The Rings" films, purchased the historic Submarine Barracks property on the Wellington peninsula with partner Fran Walsh in 2023.

At the time, the couple said they wanted to restore the area's "natural beauty".

The Chocolate Fish Cafe, which operates from the historic property, said it was informed this week that its famous landlords would end the lease in January, calling it a "devastating blow".

"Despite our requests, we haven't yet been given the opportunity to speak with Peter and Fran directly, and we are asking for that chance," the cafe said in a statement on social media.

"We don't want to be forced to close. We don't want to be shut down."

WingNut PM, the property arm of Jackson and Walsh's WingNut Group, said there had been "occupancy discussions" with the cafe's owners since 2024.

The redevelopment plan is intended to "reinvigorate the city and provide a public amenity for all Wellingtonians to enjoy", the company said in a statement to the NZ Herald newspaper.

"To deliver on the vision a complete refurbishment of the historic Submarine Barracks building that the Chocolate Fish Cafe presently occupies is necessary."

The renovations would make it impossible for the cafe to continue operations beyond January and its owners had been offered support so it could remain open into the summer period, the statement added. — AFP