Re-releases happen all the time, but very rarely do the ones not directed by James Cameron gain much of a foothold at the box office. That being said. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has lived up to its title and then some after debuting as the second most popular movie in the country after 24 hours back on the big screen.
While it didn’t stand a chance of toppling the all-conquering behemoth that The Super Mario Bros. Movie has turned out to be, Peter Jackson’s all-time classic has nonetheless earned $1.1 million from only 1100 screens to arrive in multiplexes as the number two title in the country.
Even though Nicolas Cage’s horror comedy Renfield and Ben Affleck’s Air are playing in substantially more theaters, The Return of the King rode back into battle and left them both in the dust. To be fair, we’re talking about the conclusion to one of the finest achievements in cinematic history that became the second highest-grossing hit ever during its initial run, and went on to land all 11 of the Academy Awards it was nominated for.
What makes it even more impressive is that this is the Extended Edition we’re talking about, so screenings must have been packed out if an epic that runs north of four hours can end up out-earning a blockbuster Universal monster mash and one of the best-reviewed titles of the year so far.
We wouldn’t expect The Return of the King to maintain its lofty position come Sunday, but it can’t be ruled out, either.
Published: Apr 14, 2023 10:45 am