Weekend Box Office: Hobbits Beat The Champ In The Ring!

[James Harvey]

Lord of the Rings continues to dominate, barely slipping at all from last week, falling not even 20% from it's previous week's gross. The film has already surpassed the $150 million mark and may actuially overtake Harry Potter in cumulative gross. Meanwhile, Ali had a great debut and for some reason Jimmy Neutron contunues to hold on. Top 5 regulars Ocean's Eleven and Vanilla Sky continue to stay firm the top ten. Here's the rundown:

1. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings - $37,350,000 ($154.5 mill)
2. Ocean's Eleven - $17,360,000 ($128.2 mill)
3. Ali - $15,300,000 ($35.3 mill)
4. Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius - $15,000,000 ($42.2 mill)
5. Vanilla Sky - $11,500,000 ($66.5 mill)
6. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone - $11,455,000 ($286.1 mill)
7. Kate & Leopold - $9,500,000 ($17.1 mill)
8. A Beautiful Mind - $7,237,000 ($13.2 mill)
9. Monsters, Inc. - $6,500,000 ($236.3 mill)
10. The Majestic - $5,645,000 ($15.7 mill)

Almost every movie saw a gain in box office this weekend, notably Jimmy Neutron and Harry Potter. While Neutron saw a slight 2% gain, Potter saw a 20% increase from last week. With no major movies opening on Dec. 28th, moviegoers went back to see a movie again, or see one they've been putting off...and it worked! See - if Mariah released Glitter now, then it would've made more than $4 million bucks. (I know, I know...beating a dead horse).

With a relatively slow box office until January 18th (Kung Pow and Black Hawk Down opening) expect the top ten to remain the same.

[spectre316]

I'm glad LotR is getting money. If it didn't, the whole New Line company would of gone under. What about the Majestic though? It deserves more of an audience. I saw it, and I thought it was pretty good actually.

[The Clown Prince]

In reality, I don't know if the entire New Line film studio would have gone under had Rings done bad, but I'm glad to see it is making money. It rightfully derserves so.

With $154.5 million to date, New Line is well on it's way to completley covering it's budget for all three movies! It's been reported that the all at once 3 film shoot cost between $270 and $300 million. We could see Fellowship of the Ring pretty much cover the entire 3 film's budget while The Two Towers and Return of the King be TOTAL profit! How sweet is that for New Line huh!? Plus we can't forget future DVD sales of the 3 films. That's gonna be another total profit for New Line.

The Clown Prince

[James Harvey]

With advertising and stuff included, I'd say that the budget for the film is probably around $400 million. They should be able to make that up by the second movie, so the third movie will be complete profit probably, or the majority of it will be. I think that the sequels will gross more and more as they continue. I could see LOTR1 grossing $250 mill, LOTR2 grossing $300 mill and LOTR3 grossing about $325 mill. Overall the domestic bounty should be about $875 mill.

[Lonestarr]

In the last 12 months, New Line may have been on the verge of going under when the star-studded flop "Town and Country", (which cost, after two years in the making, $90 million and barely made back 1/10 of that) opened in April. LotR might help...sorry, will help the studio make the money back. I read somewhere that from now on, New Line will steer clear of projects costing over $50 mil. Sound thinking, I believe.

Note: this won't affect the LotR trilogy.

[James Harvey]

I read about the incredible flop that was Town & Country. The $90 million pic grossd only $6 million. That flick was two yeras in the destruction and about $60 million over budget believe it or not. I think havibng films under $50 mill will definatly help the studio back on it's steady, nice and firm.

[The Mad Hatter]

LOTR is up to $150 mil already? Aaaaah, quality is rewarded, and there won't be any skrimping on the sequels. (Yes, they're filmed, but they still need special effects.)

[Jowy Blight]

Good to see that LotR is doing well, but I'm amazed that Jimmy Neutron is still in the top ten. I'm looking to see Ali some time this week, I've been hearing good things about. A friend of mine saw the Majestic and said it was pretty good, but why would the turn out be so bad for it then?

Anyway, it looks like LotR will have the top spot for quite a while.

[James Harvey]

It's probably not doing well becuase it's Jim Carrey in a dramatic role. He has a huge following for his comedic roles, but this movie is a complete departure from his comedy works. Still- I hear it's a really good movie and it's a shame it's not finding it's audience.

[Failure]

Another problm might be that they're doing a bad job marketing it. I havent seen one TV ad for that movie. I'm guessing half the poopulation doesnt even know that movie's out.

[TuffyCatt]

I went to see LOTR yesterday first the first time at a pretty early showing and the theater was packed...so I'd say LOTR is doing really well for itself. ;)

[The Mad Hatter]

As for why Jimmy Neutron is doing so well... if you advertise something to death, you WILL get people to see it. It worked for Anastasia, which had ads out the wazoo. However, such carpet-bombing tactics don't tend to give flicks a long shelf life, as people see what all the fuss is about, then don't return.

[spectre316]

Jim Carrey did a dramatic role in The Truman Show, and that film grossed a nice amount of money. And since the Majestic has Jim Carrey being dramatic, and having the director of such magnificent films such as the Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, I thought it would at least make more money.

The advertisments of this film clearly said it was "directed by Frank Durabont, director of films such as The Green Mile and the Shawshank Redemption.."

My guess is that it was released at the wrong time: On the opening or near the opening of films such as Ali and, well, Lord Of The Rings.

Whoa, a lot of italics there.

[James Harvey]

Hmmm...could it be it was the victim of a packed box office? There are already a fair amount of dramas at the movies...so maybe this one came at the wrong time...