Event Cinemas is feeling the force of strike action, as a new Star Wars movie premieres across the country.

Earlier, staff at Event Cinemas declared they would walk off the job at 10pm on Wednesday. The decision came after weeks of employment negotiations between Unite Union and the cinema chain's management broke down on Wednesday afternoon.

Despite the strikes and rallies at Auckland and Wellington cinemas, the cinema chain vowed its Solo: A Star Wars story premiere would go ahead, as it labelled the strike "unlawful".

THOMAS MANCH/STUFF Event Cinemas staff and supporters protesting low pay outside Wellington's Embassy Cinema, chanting: "who's got the power, we've got the power".

Outside Wellington's Embassy Theatre, cinema worker Jason Tolley told the crowd of 20 protesters that claims of shrinking cinema profits didn't match reports of record-breaking box office successes.

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"If we can't get to the end of the week and afford to go to a movie — how is that fair?

BEVAN HASWELL Workers are striking at Event Cinemas nationwide.

"This company is making millions, this isn't right. We're not asking for the world, we're asking for parity."

Staff inside the cinema, watching the protest from the second floor, said the movie had "absolutely" gone ahead.

Hannah Agar, an organiser for Unite Union, said minimum wage job payment rates at Event Cinemas had risen in line with legislation but other wage rates for more senior positions had not experienced similar rises. This had lead to an unfair situation for more senior staff over time, she said.

STUART C WILSON/GETTY IMAGES The latest Star Wars movie centres on Hans Solo, left, played by Alden Ehrenreich.

"Our negotiations broke down literally in the past few days and they were actually going quite well in the preceding weeks."

Entry-level workers at one competing cinema chain were paid a similar amount to supervisors at Event Cinemas, she said.

Event Cinemas general manager Carmen Switzer said the strike would not impact "anything we're doing".

REBECCA FALCONER/STUFF A Unite Union protest outside Event Cinemas Queen Street Auckland.

"Only a portion of people will be taking the action, there are other people who won't be."

Griffin said Event Cinemas had offered the union a four per cent wage increase during negotiations, the largest amount they had ever offered.

"We have advised Unite that we believe the strike action is unlawful."

Event Cinemas in Albany, Auckland, would see a smaller strike take place where workers refusing to sell food and beverages 10pm to 1am, Griffin said.

"We are committed to ensuring the impacts of the strike are minimal for our customers at Albany by having non-striking employees attend to food and beverage sales during the strike times."

The Ron Howard-directed Solo: A Star Wars Story is a prequel to the original trilogy and centres on the character of Han Solo, played by Alden Ehrenreich.

The Union planned to stage a protest outside Event Cinemas on Queen Street in Auckland from 10pm on Wednesday, Agar said.

"We love Star Wars, and I hope nobody feels that we're trying to target them for watching Star Wars."