Mania Box Office Report: The Hobbit Wins and Loses (Mania.com)

By:Robert T. Trate
Date: Sunday, December 16, 2012
Source: Box Office Mojo

We’ll get into the numbers in a minute, but I thought I would share my experience with you about seeing The Hobbit. After waiting for 3 hours to see the film in IMAX (HFR 3D) I was thrilled. Thrilled that is to watch the Star Trek Into Darkness 9 minute preview. I then moved off the edge of my seat and settled in for the The Hobbit. Only to witness the cinematic wonder of Tolkien’s world look like Star Wars Rebel Assault 2 for the original Playstation. I am sorry if the reference is too vague for some of you, but that is the first comparison that comes to mind.
 

Thankfully, The Hobbit was showing on 8 other screens at United Artist Theater I patronized that evening. I still had to sit through the horrendous trailer for Beautiful Creatures but nonetheless I enjoyed another trip to Middle Earth at only 24 frames per second. 

Did the frame rate bother you? Did you jump ship like I did? Sound off below!
 
Here is the official box office numbers according to Box Office Mojo. The Hobbit did set a new record, but failed to break the 100 Million mark.
 
“At 4,045 locations, The Hobbit earned an estimated $84.78 million this weekend. That's a bit ahead of the previous December record held by 2007's I Am Legend ($77.2 million), and also noticeably up on the three-day start for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($73.3 million). With 3D/IMAX premiums and a bit of ticket price inflation, though, The Hobbit had lower initial attendance than both of those titles (it also likely sold fewer tickets initially than The Two Towers).
 
3D showings accounted for 49 percent of ticket sales, which is about on par with most major releases right now. Warner Bros. isn't currently providing a breakdown for the high-frame-rate (HFR), though a distribution executive there suggested it had the highest per-screen average among the three main formats (2D, 3D, HFR 3D). That may not sound overly convincing, but IMAX is reporting that HFR did $44,000 per-theater compared to $31,000 at regular IMAX 3D locations. Overall, IMAX contributed an estimated $10.1 million (12 percent) this weekend”. - Ray Subers Box Office Mojo
 
So it is not a dud, but didn’t do as well as they (Warner Brothers) thought it would. I personally know of several people that wanted to wait until all three films were out. I felt the film was a tad bloated, but not nearly as stuffed as the second and third Matrix films. Now we have to wait a whole year for the next pay off. 

 
Rank
 
Movie
 
Weekend
 
Theaters
 
Average
 
Total
 
Budget
1
The Hobbit
 
$84,775,000
4,045
$20,958
$84,775,000
-
2
Rise of the Guardians
 
$7,420,000
3,387
$2,191
$71,362,000
$145
3
Lincoln
 
$7,244,000
2,285
$3,170
$107,898,000
$65
4
Skyfall
 
$7,000,000
2,924
$2,394
$272,366,000
$200
5
Life of Pi
 
$5,400,000
2,548
$2,119
$69,559,000
$120
6
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
 
$5,175,000
3,042
$1,701
$276,865,000
$120
7
Wreck-It Ralph
 
$3,273,000
2,249
$1,455
$168,779,000
$165
8
Playing for Keeps
 
$3,247,000
2,840
$1,143
$10,838,000
-
9
Red Dawn (2012)
 
$2,394,000
2,250
$1,064
$40,889,000
$65
10
Silver Linings Playbook
 
$2,084,000
371
$5,617
$16,954,000
$21

So will it be back to Middle Earth this weekend or are we all holding off until Django Unchained and Les Miserables?
 

 



Series: