If the films follow the expected similar box office trajectory that the LOTR films did of increasing from one to the next, I'm sure that WB will be satisfied with a total box office take of three and half billion dollars, or more.
And while there might be some worry that the less than stellar critical acclaim (and word of mouth) that AUJ had compared to FOTR might lessen the response to DOS, I have one thing to say in response to that:
SMAUG.
The Hobbit: AUJ box office
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Voronwë the Faithful
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I'd say that AUJ's lukewarm critical response was due to a variety of things. It's certainly not as groundbreaking as the LotR films were, and even the visual effects are nothing new besides the high framerate. It had a troubled production history. The source material isn't as good, especially since it's only the first third of the book. Some critics don't have the patience for the slow beginning (I think they're mostly wrong, though I would probably cut the Bilbo/Frodo scene). And of course there are some legitimate problems with it.
On the other, while word of mouth is mixed (my friends have the whole spectrum of different opinions on it with both readers and nonreaders), it seems to have been at least enough to give the movie a good run.
If PJ doesn't go off the rails with Dol Guldur and the new characters and it ends at a good point, DoS will probably get better critical reviews. It gets off to a quicker start, for one thing. The story is less similar to LotR and will have more things we haven't seen before, both plot points and visuals. As Voronwë said, Smaug could be spectacular and completely new. To a lesser degree, so could Beorn, and he'll be at the very beginning. A shapeshifting bear and a dragon is a pretty good way to bookend a film!
On the other, while word of mouth is mixed (my friends have the whole spectrum of different opinions on it with both readers and nonreaders), it seems to have been at least enough to give the movie a good run.
If PJ doesn't go off the rails with Dol Guldur and the new characters and it ends at a good point, DoS will probably get better critical reviews. It gets off to a quicker start, for one thing. The story is less similar to LotR and will have more things we haven't seen before, both plot points and visuals. As Voronwë said, Smaug could be spectacular and completely new. To a lesser degree, so could Beorn, and he'll be at the very beginning. A shapeshifting bear and a dragon is a pretty good way to bookend a film!
To be fair, the word of mouth was mixed on the LOTR movies as well. But it's hard to argue that FOTR was not a much better movie artistically.On the other, while word of mouth is mixed (my friends have the whole spectrum of different opinions on it with both readers and nonreaders), it seems to have been at least enough to give the movie a good run.
As far as future box office is concerned, I wonder about the impact of people seeing the movie multiple times in different formats just for comparison. Will they do so again, or does everyone know what their favorite format is now?
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
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Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Did anyone really do this besides serious Tolkien fans (who would see it multiple times anyway) and maybe a few videophiles?As far as future box office is concerned, I wonder about the impact of people seeing the movie multiple times in different formats just for comparison. Will they do so again, or does everyone know what their favorite format is now?
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Box Office Mojo confirms that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has crossed the one billion dollar threshold.
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hobbit.htm
Congratulations to all involved with the film.
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hobbit.htm
Congratulations to all involved with the film.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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sauronsfinger
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Great milestone. Lets raise a glass to both JRRT and PJ.Voronwë the Faithful wrote:Box Office Mojo confirms that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has crossed the one billion dollar threshold.
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hobbit.htm
Congratulations to all involved with the film.
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.... John Rogers
many congratulations to all involved...And here's The Hollywood Reporter's announcement, for good measure:
Box Office Milestone: 'Hobbit' Hits $1 Billion in Global Ticket Sales
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
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sauronsfinger
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Up higher on this page, Voronwë mentioned that Smaug will help the second film. I could not agree more. I suspect that Smaug will be one of things that people come back from viewing and say to others.... "you gotta see this".
AUJ might hit 1 billion 40 mil more or less. I would expect the second installment to surpass that if the dragon is all we expect it to be. This trilogy could build nicely just like the first one did. In the end, Middle-earth will have generated over 6 billion dollars in film income not including all the other ancillary rights.
Not too bad at all.
AUJ might hit 1 billion 40 mil more or less. I would expect the second installment to surpass that if the dragon is all we expect it to be. This trilogy could build nicely just like the first one did. In the end, Middle-earth will have generated over 6 billion dollars in film income not including all the other ancillary rights.
Not too bad at all.
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.... John Rogers
Well, now...this has just popped up on IGN:
15 Top Grossing films with their RT scores
Apart from Phantom Menace (which was re-released) and Titanic, all the movies on that list are less than 10 years old. RotK aside, right on the 10-year limit, how can we not conclude that inflation and 3D price-hikes artificially distort the figures? The popularity of Titanic was an absolute phenomenon, of course, but I do think after that, RotK is probably is the outstanding success in real terms on that list. Not only that, but you have to admit that AUJ would not have generated anywhere near the amount it has, without the 3D/HFR/IMAX add-on costs, plus the different formats on offer encouraging multiple viewings...
15 Top Grossing films with their RT scores
Apart from Phantom Menace (which was re-released) and Titanic, all the movies on that list are less than 10 years old. RotK aside, right on the 10-year limit, how can we not conclude that inflation and 3D price-hikes artificially distort the figures? The popularity of Titanic was an absolute phenomenon, of course, but I do think after that, RotK is probably is the outstanding success in real terms on that list. Not only that, but you have to admit that AUJ would not have generated anywhere near the amount it has, without the 3D/HFR/IMAX add-on costs, plus the different formats on offer encouraging multiple viewings...
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
~Diana Cortes
~Diana Cortes
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Voronwë the Faithful
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I would say that Avatar and The Avengers are also standouts. But really, if you think about it, how many films have been made in the past 10 years? A few thousand? Being one of the 15 of those to make it to a billion is nothing to sneeze at.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Surely there were just as many made in the 90's or before? My point is that from that list it appears more likely (easier?) for films to reach the magic $1bn these days than 10 years ago...
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
~Diana Cortes
~Diana Cortes
Latest Box Office Mojo update = Worldwide: $1,009,595,997 (No update for domestic BO as yet) That's roughly 8 million+ since last Sunday...
AUJ has just passed The Dark Knight on the all-time worldwide list at #14.
ETA: Now updated - worldwide total = $1,009,974,933
AUJ has just passed The Dark Knight on the all-time worldwide list at #14.
ETA: Now updated - worldwide total = $1,009,974,933
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
~Diana Cortes
~Diana Cortes
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Looks like this are final official totals, at least until it gets re-released in the theaters:
Domestic North America: $303,003,568 29.8%
International: $714,000,000 70.2%
Total Worldwide: $1,017,003,568
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?pa ... hobbit.htm
Domestic North America: $303,003,568 29.8%
International: $714,000,000 70.2%
Total Worldwide: $1,017,003,568
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?pa ... hobbit.htm
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."