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'Lord of the Rings' triumphs at box office, nears $300 million gross revenue
Reuters ^
| 12/30/01
| Dean Goodman
Posted on 12/30/2001 5:34:59 PM PST by spycatcher
``The Lord of the Rings'' rang up a second weekend atop the North American box office as overall business received a boost from holiday moviegoers, according to studio estimates issued Sunday.
Among the three new entries in the top 10 were two fact-based dramas: the Muhammad Ali biopic ``Ali,'' starring Will Smith, at No. 3, and ``A Beautiful Mind,'' starring Russell Crowe as a schizophrenic genius, at No. 8 in limited release. The Meg Ryan romantic comedy ``Kate & Leopold'' opened at No. 7.
Director Peter Jackson's ``The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' pulled in $37.4 million for the three days beginning Dec. 28 from 3,339 theaters across the United States and Canada. Its 12-day total stands at $154.5 million.
Overseas data were not available for the weekend, but the film had pulled in $106 million by last Thursday. Executives at the film's producer, New Line Cinema, expected its worldwide total will have exceeded $300 million by Wednesday.
After playing strongest to fans of late novelist J.R.R. Tolkien's hobbit books in its first weekend, the elaborate fantasy is now attracting a wider audience of families and seniors as well as repeat business, said Russell Schwartz, president of domestic marketing at New Line.
``I think we have a lot of work yet to do,'' he added, with the film's campaign for Academy Award consideration among the tasks. Schwartz also aimed to take the film ``off the entertainment pages'' by unveiling a marketing campaign that stresses such themes as destiny and community -- notions that resonate more than ever in the wider world.
New Line Cinema, a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc., will release the second and third installments of the ambitious $270 million project over the next two Christmases.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hollywoodpinglist
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator
To: proud patriot
This is still far too many people who want to see a movie about a Muslim traitor. Gollum was Muslim?
Har.
3
posted on
12/30/2001 5:46:56 PM PST
by
Harp
To: proud patriot
To: Harp
I think he must mean Ali.
5
posted on
12/30/2001 5:51:40 PM PST
by
Cicero
To: proud patriot
This is still far too many people who want to see a movie about a Muslim traitor.Before anything else, Clay was a coward.
6
posted on
12/30/2001 5:55:29 PM PST
by
Petronski
To: spycatcher
The first weekend take on LOTR was, if I recall correctly, $45 million, declining to $37 million the second week. A dropoff of only 18% the second week indicates major positive word of mouth and major repeat business.
Comment #8 Removed by Moderator
Comment #9 Removed by Moderator
To: Cicero
I wuz teasin' . . .
it was probably Saruman.
10
posted on
12/30/2001 6:06:11 PM PST
by
Harp
Comment #11 Removed by Moderator
To: spycatcher
These are very good numbers when you consider the movie's length. At most, they're getting three shows a day per screen. Sometimes it's only two shows per day. And typically two out of three shows are matinees with lower ticket prices. The real key to LOTR will be making steady profits for the next two to three months. Considering the lack of competition, continued profits seem likely. Heck, Harry Potter and Monster's Inc. seemed stalled around mid-December, then increased ticket sales over the holidays when only one new kid's film debuted (Jimmy Neutron). Now the first will break into the top ten all-time and the second will break into the top twenty all-time. LOTR will probably have a similar situation for a while.
12
posted on
12/30/2001 6:12:20 PM PST
by
LenS
To: proud patriot
I just saw Ali. It is a must see movie for all conservatives.All members ought to be reminded how much hatred there is towards America in general and white people in particular by our Black friends and neighbors.
To: LenS
It's amazing. Three hours long with a per screen average of over $11,000.
To: spycatcher
LOTR was the all time BEST movie I have seen in the past five years! I plan to see it again at least two times. :)
To: proud patriot
Perhaps if you read a little more you'd have learned the clear distinction between a conscientious objector and a traitor. Just as you may prove there is a difference between ignorant and stupid.
16
posted on
12/30/2001 6:26:10 PM PST
by
breakem
To: spycatcher
My wife, son, and I just got back from seeing it.
What a show!
FReegards,
17
posted on
12/30/2001 6:34:29 PM PST
by
VMI70
To: spycatcher
I hear that in the next two movies, Al Gore will be portraying Treebeard and Livia Rodham will be the Crack of Doom.
To: ecurbh
ping!
To: spycatcher
I saw it, LOTR, a couple of days ago. I thought it was excellent. It has been way too many years since I read the books for me to able to remember if the movie was true to the books.
The scenery was outstanding, the sets very well done, and the effects pretty much seamless and realistic looking. The continuity was a bit jerky in places but the story IS an epic that would need 10 hours to do it justice. Also, I thought the Hobbits were just a bit too "human" to fit my mental picture of them from the books.
20
posted on
12/30/2001 6:48:57 PM PST
by
rboatman
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