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BOX OFFICE: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Crosses $1 Billion Worldwide

As expected, Peter Jackson's first Hobbit movie has officially surpassed the $1 billion mark worldwide, becoming the 15th film in history to do so and the second highest grosser in the Middle-earth series.

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By Paul Romano - 3/3/2013


Thanks to the film's recent release in China, Warner Bros.' fantasy epic The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has finally crossed the $1 billion mark in the worldwide box office. The Peter Jackson-directed prequel, which is the first of a new trilogy set in Middle-earth, has grossed $301.1 million domestically and nearly $700M worldwide. This is good news for WB, as the studio's most recent release, Jack The Giant Slayer, has only debuted with an estimated $28M in its opening weekend. An Unexpected Journey is the 15th film in history to cross $1B, and the fourth film of 2012 to do so (the others being Marvel's The Avengers, Skyfall and The Dark Knight Rises). It's also the second highest grossing Middle-earth movie, behind 2003's The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (which grossed $1.12B).

"We could not be more proud to have reached reached this amazing benchmark. Together with our partners at MGM and New Line, everyone at Warner Bros. congratulates Peter Jackson and his entire cast and crew on the extraordinary success of this film," said WB domestic distribution president Dan Fellman. WB international distribution president Veronika Kwan Vandenberg added, "From Berlin to Beijing, it is so gratifying to see how the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journsey has been such an event with audiences around the world. We know that moviegoers everywhere are already excited about the next film, as are we."

Additionally, Warner Bros. has slated The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug for December 13th this year, and recently moved The Hobbit: There And Back Again to December 17th, 2014. An Unexpected Journey arrives on Blu-Ray March 22nd.







Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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46 Comments
CoolantTech - 3/3/2013, 11:10 AM
Well I can definately see Ironman 3 making a billion dollars at the B.O. and MOS
Maxi91291 - 3/3/2013, 11:17 AM
Well, this is not surprising but I expected it would break 1B sooner .... nontheless , great news
PaulRom - 3/3/2013, 11:21 AM
I'm predicting that Desolation Of Smaug will be the highest grossing film of the year. Iron Man 3 is the only other one that has a good chance of hitting $1B though. MAYBE Hunger Games: Catching Fire as well.
NeoBaggins - 3/3/2013, 11:21 AM

YES, BITCHES!
Facade - 3/3/2013, 11:25 AM
Bravo! Next up: extended version blu ray!
AnungUnRama - 3/3/2013, 11:26 AM
Great to hear that. Thought it would have opened in China by mid January, and as there were hardly any additional revenue by February I thought this wouldn't break the Billion anymore. So glad to see I was wrong (on both).
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 3/3/2013, 11:27 AM
Damn, 4 action/fantasy movies that passed a billion. Don't think were are going to see anything this groundbreaking for a while.
CrimsonReign - 3/3/2013, 11:30 AM
If MOS can crack 1B, I will be very pleased for the future of Supes and Justice League.
CavEl - 3/3/2013, 11:34 AM
Superman Returns made 400 million dollars and it was a bad movie.

A good Superman movie has a chance to make a billion, easy...Superman: The Movie, when adjusted for inflation, made a Billion in '78.
Boyle360 - 3/3/2013, 11:39 AM
I'm starting to think Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel are going to make a billion each too.
SCURVYDOG619 - 3/3/2013, 11:44 AM
And the DVD for this movie comes out in about three weeks.....

Even money there's a trailer for Desolation Of Smaug on it...
CavEl - 3/3/2013, 11:46 AM
@ brazilianbatman - No way World War Z makes 600 million dollars, especially since it is in direct competition with Man of Steel and Monster's U. It comes out the same day as Monsters U and a week after Man of Steel.

Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel have the same amount of buzz/anticipation, the sum total between them won't be too steep in my opinion.

Iron Man 3 will make more, in my opinion, for these reasons...

1.) RDJ
2.) The Avengers
3.) Iron Man 3 was crap, made more than both Iron Man 1 and Superman Returns, Iron Man 3, is looking better than the first, will make more than Iron Man 2.
4.) Iron Man's first real challenge is in Star Trek...and that comes out two weeks later. By that time, Iron Man 3 would've made back its budget and then some. Man of Steel faces off against Monster's U, which looks like shit, but Brave is shit too and it made 700 million.
5.) Superman Returns is the last thing on people's mind from Superman.
6.) Man of Steel is a reboot with an unknown actor in Hank, reboots rarely ever make as much money as sequels.

Things Man of Steel as for it...

1.) Nolan's name brings in the Nolanites.
2.) It's still Superman, one of the most popular superheroes/heroes EVER.
3.) Snyder's visuals and Goyer's story telling is like if Spielberg and Lucas made a movie...oh, they did, it was awesome too.
4.) The cast is amazing.


CavEl - 3/3/2013, 11:48 AM
And I meant Iron Man 2 was crap, not Iron Man 3...

My bad, Marvel bros. Don't get all insulty.
CaptainObvious - 3/3/2013, 11:51 AM
Is anybody anticipating World War Z?
BeanzReilly - 3/3/2013, 11:56 AM
Cool, liked it a lot and looking forward to the sequel but I don't quite get the hate this one has been getting.
AnungUnRama - 3/3/2013, 11:57 AM
If it makes another 88 million PJ will have made 4 Billion with a 4-movie-franchise, in average 1 bilion per film. Most successful franchise per movie (which it already is 13 million ahead of Harry Potter). So great. Looking forward to Desolation of the Smaug. Stay epic PJ, stay epic.
CavEl - 3/3/2013, 12:00 PM
I see them breaking down like this...

Iron Man 3 = 1 Billion, easy.

Star Trek 2 = 500 million (Superman Returns made more money than Star Trek, and Star Trek was a much better movie.)

G.I. Joe 2 = 480 million thanks to The Rock and Tatum's new found B.O. appeal.

Man of Steel = 800 million, in 2011 it would've made 1 billion easily. In 2012, if it came out on June 14, it would've made a billion easily, but it's up against so many good movies.

Pacific Rim = 450 million. Giant Robots, Giant monsters, Idris Elba and GDT...need I say more?

The Wolverine = 380 million, sorry, too many good movies in Summer 2013 for this to make too much money. And no one, outside of us nerds, even knows about it.

Thor 2 = 500 million. The Avengers wasn't successful because of Thor, it was because of Iron Man and The Hulk. I doubt anyone is rushing to the theater to watch Thor 2.

The Hobbit 2 = 1 billion, if the Hobbit one can make 1 billion, Smaug can make 1 billion.
legolad - 3/3/2013, 12:10 PM
Guys, making a billion is the new 500 million, a bunch of movies are going to start making those numbers. It's no surprise given the fact that costs have gone up, as well as inflation. I wouldn't be surprised if 4 or 5 movies every year make a billion dollars at the box office.
CavEl - 3/3/2013, 12:14 PM
@ LEVITIKUZ - Nah, The Amazing Spider-Man had 2 weeks to make as much as it wanted until Rises came to kill everything. TASM only faced off against Katy Perry: The movie and Ice Age 4. Even then, only a 1/3rd of TASM's bank came from the states.

Man of Steel has Monster's U the week after, and even Pixar's bad movies make a ton of bank.
CavEl - 3/3/2013, 12:17 PM
TASM's money came mostly from being unchallenged overseas.

The Avengers made nearly 630 at home, Rises made 450 at home.
Facade - 3/3/2013, 12:48 PM
@LEVITIKUZ...not everyone is on board with MOS. So much of the Superman fandom has been divided on it...where have you been?! I'd be surprised if it makes a billion. I doubt it'll win the summer box office, too.
cld247 - 3/3/2013, 12:56 PM
man of steel will make a billion without a doubt @ Levi you know what's up with man of steel bro its gonna be the greatest comicbookmovie of all time all you haters wait and watch
bazinga85 - 3/3/2013, 1:03 PM
I can't believe I haven't seen this yet. At least it'll be on DVD in a few weeks.
LordHuck - 3/3/2013, 1:04 PM
Superman returns only made 391 million at the box office. I don't see MOS Making more than 800 million tops. I think much less.
AmericanPsychoWolf - 3/3/2013, 1:05 PM
Yeah and if MOS is a Nolan story with Snyder effects meets the Avengers action, then you got the makings of a billion dollar film.
Webhead007 - 3/3/2013, 1:09 PM
MOS and Iron Man 3 will probably be neck and neck. Both will make over 1 billion.
CavEl - 3/3/2013, 1:10 PM
@ LEVITIKUZ - Doubt it, bro, MU won't kill Man of Steel, but it will slow it down.

I can see Man of Steel drawing in 90-125 million in weekend 1, but once MU is released I doubt it makes tat kind of scratch. Maybe 40-60 million in week 2, week 3 see something like 30 million, but week 4 will kill it.

The Lone Ranger and Despicable Me 2, no way it continues its BO success.

@ Facade - No divide, even the grumpiest old school Reeve/Donner fans are going to go watch Man of Steel. RBFN likes to bitch, but I'll see high to him at the midnight screening.
Webhead007 - 3/3/2013, 1:10 PM
As much as I love RDJ, I'm still want MOS to do better.
Webhead007 - 3/3/2013, 1:13 PM
@Jake You have to remember that kids love Superman too. I doubt MU would slow down MOS that much.
TheAbomination - 3/3/2013, 1:35 PM
You guys are crazy. There's no way Iron Man 3 is reaching $1 billion. I'm predicting $900 million at the most.

And congrats to the Hobbit.
Nomis1800 - 3/3/2013, 1:43 PM
Yay although it took a lot longer than I expected.
Ric - 3/3/2013, 1:48 PM
finally! next movies to cross one billion = Man of Steel & Iron Man 3.
Ric - 3/3/2013, 1:48 PM
uh and Star Trek Into Darkness of course!
beane2099 - 3/3/2013, 2:19 PM
Considering that an Iron Man movie has never broken $700 million (which is still DAMN respectable, I might add) I don't see Iron Man 3 crossing the billion dollar mark, even with a release in China and the success of Avengers behind it. Thor 2 even less so, with the first one barely breaking the $400 million mark (again, still a respectable number). Man of Steel is a wild card, but I don't see Billion Dollar Club membership in the future of that movie either. Star Trek has zero chance of joining that club (the last movie didn't even make half that).

While Billion dollar movies are becoming more common place these days (cause of IMAX and 3D), NOT making a billion dollars doesn't make a movie a bomb or unimpressive. A movie that makes 500-800 million dollars is still impressive (production and advertisement costs notwithstanding) mainly because it means a damn lot of people went to see it. Whether it makes a profit or not is a separate issue. Making (or not making) profit affects sequel potential, but does not change how many people actually went to see a movie. Anyways that's just how I see it.
pintoman - 3/3/2013, 2:40 PM
JJ's Trek 2 has no chance.
TheDesertGorilla - 3/3/2013, 3:27 PM
Wouldn't be surprised if they turn it into FOUR Hobbit movies after this.
Super12 - 3/3/2013, 3:34 PM
Most moneys made in order:

Hobbit 2
Man of Steel
Iron Man 3
Star Trek 2
Thor 2
Wolverine
GI Joe 2
TheHeat - 3/3/2013, 3:38 PM
I don't see MOS, which is a reboot, making $1B.
TexasTwoFace - 3/3/2013, 3:57 PM
Makes me wish all three of LotR books had been made into three movies. I mean what's next now? They don't have the rights to anything else right? And besides nothing else is as linear correct?
TexasTwoFace - 3/3/2013, 3:58 PM
I think people are dreaming with this Man of Steel. I mean look how much Hulk hurt The Incredible Hulk, Superman Returns could easily have a similar effect.
TheGodKiller - 3/3/2013, 4:25 PM
@ TexasTwoFace, Let Peter Jackson do Robert Jordans "The Wheel Of Time" series. A 13 book series will keep him busy and us happy.
marvel72 - 3/3/2013, 5:34 PM
good the movie its so underrated,its miles better than 65% rotten tomatoes marked it.
Mercwitham0uth - 3/3/2013, 10:27 PM
Didn't think it woulld reach that mark. I didn't think it was all that great tbh.
sirbonesalot - 3/4/2013, 3:20 AM
only gonna watch there and back again cause it's gonna win best picture at the oscars and therefore be the best of the trilogy... unexpected and demise aren't worth it.... like fellowship and 2 towers...... oh that's what a [foo foo] would say.
PurpleMonkey - 3/4/2013, 4:36 AM
CONGRATULATIONS to the Hobbit!

G.I. Joe: Retaliation = $550 million

Iron Man 3 = $1 billion

Star Trek into Darkness = $925 million

Man of Steel = $1 billion

The Lone Ranger = $500 million

Pacific Rim = $400-$500 million

The Wolverine = $400 million

Thor: The Dark World = $500 million

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire = $800 million

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smuag = $1 bilion
supermarioworldE - 3/4/2013, 6:08 AM
I can't believe a billion dollars worth of people paid to see one third of a movie.

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