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‘The Hobbit’ Smashes Box Office Records With $84.8 Million Opening

Dec. 16, 2012 9:30pm Erica Ritz

The Hobbit Breaks Box Office Records With $84.8 Million Opening | J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson

Director Peter Jackson arrives at the UK premiere of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” at The Odeon Leicester Square, London on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. (Photo: AP)

(TheBlaze/AP) — Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” led the box office with a haul of $84.8 million, a record-setting opening better than the three previous “Lord of the Rings” films.

The Warner Bros. Middle Earth epic was the biggest December opening ever, surpassing Will Smith’s “I Am Legend,” which opened with $77.2 million in 2007, according to studio estimates Sunday. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” also passed the December opening of “Avatar,” which opened with $77 million. Internationally, “The Hobbit” also added $138.2 million, for an impressive global debut of $223 million.

Despite mixed reviews, the 3-D adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s first novel in the fantasy series was an even bigger draw than the last “Lord of the Rings” movie, “The Return of the King.” That film opened with $72.6 million. “The Hobbit” is the first of another planned trilogy, with two more films to be squeezed out of Tolkien’s book.

While Jackson’s “Rings” movies drew many accolades – “The Return of the King” won best picture from the Academy Awards – the path for “The Hobbit” has been rockier. It received no Golden Globes nominations on Thursday, though all three “Rings” films were nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for best picture.

This film image released by Warner Bros. shows Ian McKellen as Gandalf in a scene from the fantasy adventure ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.’ (Photo: AP)

Particularly criticized has been the film’s 48-frames-per-second (double the usual rate), a hyper-detailed look that some have found jarring. Most moviegoers didn’t see “The Hobbit” in that version, though, as the new technology was rolled out in only 461 of the 4,045 theaters playing the film.

Regardless of any misgivings over “The Hobbit,” the film was a hit with audiences. They graded the film with an “A” CinemaScore.

“What’s really important, what makes this special is the CinemaScore,” said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. “All these things point to a great word of mouth. We haven’t even made it to the Christmas holidays yet. Kids are still in school this week.”

The strong opening culminated a long journey for “The Hobbit,” which was initially delayed when a lawsuit dragged on between Jackson and “Rings” producer New Line Cinema over merchandizing revenue. At one point, Guillermo del Toro was to direct the film with Jackson producing. But eventually the filmmaker opted to direct the movie himself, originally envisioning two “Hobbit” films. The production also went through the bankruptcy of distribution partner MGM and a labor dispute in New Zealand, where the film was shot.

This publicity film image released by Warner Bros. , shows Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in a scene from the fantasy adventure “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. (Photo: AP)

The long delay for “The Hobbit,” nearly a decade after the last “Lord of the Rings” film, made it “one of those movies that had everyone scratching their heads as to how it would open,” said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

“It’s been a decade since the `Lord of the Rings’ trilogy concluded,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s been so much anticipation for this film and having Peter Jackson back at the helm just made it irresistible both to fans and the non-initiated alike.”

“The Hobbit” was far and away the biggest draw in theaters, with no other new wide release. Paramount’s “Rise of the Guardians” continued to draw the family crowd, with $7.4 million, bringing its cumulative total to $71.4 million. The Oscar contender “Lincoln” from Walt Disney crossed the $100 million mark, adding another $7.2 million to bring its six-week total to $107.9 million. And Sony’s James Bond film “Skyfall,” with another $7 million domestically, drew closer to a global take of $1 billion.

The box office continued to be on the upswing and with anticipated releases like “Les Miserables,” “Django Unchained” and “The Guilt Trip” approaching in the holiday moviegoing season. Dergarabedian expects the year to break the 2009 record of $10.6 billion. With some $10.2 billion in revenue thus far, he said, “We’re on track to be in that realm.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” $84.8 million ($138.2 million international).

2. “Rise of the Guardians,” $7.4 million ($20.1 million international).

3. “Lincoln,” $7.2 million.

4. “Skyfall,” $7 million ($12.2 million international).

5. “Life of Pi,” $5.4 million ($11.5 million international).

6. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2,” $5.2 million ($13 million international).

7. “Wreck-It Ralph,” $3.3million ($4.7 million international).

8. “Playing for Keeps,” $3.2 million ($1.4 million international).

9. “Red Dawn,” $2.4 million.

10. “Silver Linings Playbook,” $2 million ($370,000 international).

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Click here to read TheBlaze’s Billy Hallowell’s overview of Christian themes in “The Hobbit.”

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Comments (25)

hauschild
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 8:47am
How can anybody with a functioning brain sit thru this nonsense?

Movies today are simply AWFUL. Poorly casted, poorly acted – just terrible. Nothing fits. Everything is 100 miles an hour and the viewer is spoon-fed every little detail.

I remember somebody made me sit thru Lord of the the Rings and it was the most miserable 2.5 hours of my life.

What the hell is going on this country? I can’t be the only one that grew up at a time movies were decent that’s able to make the distinction here?!?!? I am really surprised Glenn finds these movies so great.

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- teddyc73
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 9:42am
  Relax, it’s just a movie. Just because you dont like it doesnt mean other people shouldn’t and it doesnt reflect on their intelligence or character. Good grief. The idea that the popularity of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit some how reflects on the country as a whole is a rather big stretch. Again, relax.
  
  Report this comment
- Silvertruth
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 11:21am
  To each their own.
  
  If you don’t understand why Mr. Beck likes these movies, you didn’t pay attention to his broadcast. He was espousing the background concepts of the story and of the author.
  
  Or it’s entirely possible you should just be very careful around sunlight…
  
  Report this comment
- Pearsontech
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 12:00pm
  @Hauschild I could say the fact that you don’t like it and had to get on here to comment about it that way reflects negatively on your intelligence but I will refrain.
  
  Report this comment
- OKC08GT500
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:56pm
  The LOTR trilogy is my favorite movie(s) of all time. I have the blu-ray extended version and watch them at least once a year.
  
  Report this comment
h20sue
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:43am
I’d like to know, with the economy is such dyer shape, where people are getting this money?
We’re not able to go to a movie. We are living day to day, month to month, struggling to keep a roof over our heads. Where are people getting this kind of money? Are they using credit cards?
The last movie we were able to go see was with John Travolta and it was The General’s Daughter.
I just can’t fathom where this money is coming from.

Obama is getting ready to stop gun sales because of a young man who suffered mental problems. If his Mom, knowing he had Aspbergers Disease, had locked up the guns, this would not have happened. I am just blown away at her ignorance. No one leaves guns available when there is someone living in your home with mental problems. It’s as if she has a death wish or had no common sense at all.

Yes, I believe what Jamie Foxx said… I believe Hollywood is very much to blame for all this violence. Children’s video games are just as bad. Why did we allow this to happen? You want to take away guns, well you need to clean up Hollywood, radicals, liberals, money hungry mongrels, and killing video games, welfare fruad and more. Guns don’t kill, people kill.

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- hauschild
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 8:50am
  “where people are getting this money?”
  
  Dumb asses like us still working and paying taxes.
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 11:11am
  h20sue
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:43am
  I’d like to know, with the economy is such dyer shape, where people are getting this money?
  _____________________
  Beck has been lying to you, the economy has been improving, slowly, but improving. Time to wake up from the lies of the tea bagging fringe.
  
  Report this comment
- Brooke Lorren
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 12:25pm
  We’re struggling to pay the bills too, but we did go to see this movie. Our Christmas gift budget is very low this year. My friends and family will be lucky to get homemade cookies from us.
  
  We generally don’t go see a lot of movies either. Eating out is usually once a month or less, and it consists of going to some place fancy like Chick-Fil-A or something. That’s how we got the money to see this movie. That, and we had passes to go see it for free.
  
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ccrabill
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:40am
I went with my husband and our 2 oldest kids. Huge fans of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Super excited!
All of us wanted to leave within the first 30 minutes but stayed thinking everyone else was into it. Pathetic rendition of the Hobbit. Bore no resemblance to the genius of the Trilogy. Two words, stupid and boring.

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- hauschild
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 8:49am
  The entire series is a sham, if LOTR was any indication.
  
  My first question to you without trying to be snarky is how old you are and why did you find LOTR so compelling? It was horribly acted, loud and didn’t make any sense.
  
  I wish people on our side would please learn to STARVE THE BEAST!!!
  
  Report this comment
Ayla_me
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 6:15am
My daughter and I saw it yesterday. The LOTR series was a special thing for the two of us, and she treated me to this one. (She has so grown up!) I had to explain a few things, creatures, background, etc to her during the movies, as she had not read the appendices of the LOTR book. I thought some of the material was a bit hard to follow, as they really didn’t tell the story with the proper cohesiveness. However, when all three come together, I am sure it will be amazing. I did miss some of the scenes that were in the trailers, yet not in this movie, i.e. Bilbo shopping at the Shire market. I was so looking forward to more Shire scenes.

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Medic109
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 5:27am
I thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie plays like the book reads. Of course like in all movies made from books there are differences. The book “The Hobbit” is a more light hearted children’s fairy tale where “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is darker and more serious. Watching the Hobbit this weekend, with my wife and my niece, brought me back decades to when I first read the entire series. I shared this with my niece and told I first read the books when I was her age (11). I think she will be getting he series for Christmas.

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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 2:53am
Film breaks records, with no film trailers involving car chases, taunting half naked women, or mounds of dead bodies?

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- GO-FOR-LIBERTY
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 5:07am
  Be ready for a long sit. 3hrs non stop.
  
  Report this comment
Fla.Patriot
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 2:12am
WOW, 84.4 million on opening…that’s an obscene amount of money

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Talmid of Yeshua
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 1:27am
I seen this weekend on a Digital RPX 3D 48 FPS screen, and it was truly amazing. To those movie critics (intellectual elites) who bashed the 48 FPS… they are idiots. It was truly amazing.

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ORACLE12389
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 12:35am
I’m staring a pool who’s betting? For what? Well, on what Django is going to pull in whenever it comes out.

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JP4JOY
Posted on December 16, 2012 at 9:49pm
Just went and saw it with the wife and boys, it was as good as the LotR in every aspect. Just goes to show what spending some big bucks can get you in the movie biz. I wouldn’t be surprised if it breaks box office records during the Christmas Season. Really can’t wait to see the next two!!

Merry Christmas, Blazers

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- Infected
  Posted on December 16, 2012 at 11:58pm
  I just got back from The Hobbit, and here is my take…
  
  Hour 1: History Lesson
  Hour 2: Unimportant
  Hour 3: Running
  
  Completely disapointing.
  
  Report this comment
- SUNTZU
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 12:48am
  I had some bad hobbits,but then I got
  inhervention…
  
  Report this comment
gyro
Posted on December 16, 2012 at 9:48pm
Wow
SF movies rock !

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nomemymine
Posted on December 16, 2012 at 9:44pm
Just saw it. It is nice to see good / bad so clearly again.

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banjarmon
Posted on December 16, 2012 at 9:43pm
Makes me want to reread the books!!

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- Brooke Lorren
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 12:27pm
  Me too. It’s on my list for the first of the year. As soon as I finish reading Agenda 21 after Christmas.
  
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