James Harvey
12-20-2001, 09:15 PM
www.comingsoon.net reports:
Variety says that, despite its three-hour length, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" earned at least $17.1 million in its Wednesday bow. The figure could rise when additional North American tallies are collected, the company said this morning.
That start puts the the film on track to become the biggest December opening in history, and a five-day total in the $70 million to $80 million range is possible.
The film, which opened Tuesday at midnight to sold-out theaters across the country, is playing on 5,700 screens and 3,359 theaters, with a strong average of $5,104 per engagement.
"These numbers well exceed our expectations," said New Line distrib chief David Tuckerman. The studio had estimated a $10 million take per day, or roughly $60 million for the Wednesday-Sunday frame.
With a running time of about two and a half hours, Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" grossed $23 million on its Friday, Nov. 16 release and a record $90.3 million for its opening three-day weekend frame.
"Harry" opened on an unprecedented 8,000-plus screens and a record 3,672 theaters.
UPDATE: New Line has released that "Fellowship of the Ring" has earned $18.2 million its first day, about a million more than earlier estimates today. The figure includes ticket sales from midnight screenings in select theaters. This marks the third largest Wednesday opening ever, behind just 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," which earned $28.5 million, and this summer's "Jurassic Park III," which took in $19 million its first day.
Variety says that, despite its three-hour length, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" earned at least $17.1 million in its Wednesday bow. The figure could rise when additional North American tallies are collected, the company said this morning.
That start puts the the film on track to become the biggest December opening in history, and a five-day total in the $70 million to $80 million range is possible.
The film, which opened Tuesday at midnight to sold-out theaters across the country, is playing on 5,700 screens and 3,359 theaters, with a strong average of $5,104 per engagement.
"These numbers well exceed our expectations," said New Line distrib chief David Tuckerman. The studio had estimated a $10 million take per day, or roughly $60 million for the Wednesday-Sunday frame.
With a running time of about two and a half hours, Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" grossed $23 million on its Friday, Nov. 16 release and a record $90.3 million for its opening three-day weekend frame.
"Harry" opened on an unprecedented 8,000-plus screens and a record 3,672 theaters.
UPDATE: New Line has released that "Fellowship of the Ring" has earned $18.2 million its first day, about a million more than earlier estimates today. The figure includes ticket sales from midnight screenings in select theaters. This marks the third largest Wednesday opening ever, behind just 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," which earned $28.5 million, and this summer's "Jurassic Park III," which took in $19 million its first day.