The Hobbit leads box office sales continue to lead despite drop-off

Added by on December 24, 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey sales declined 56% in its second weekend, yet continued to lead box office sales

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey sales declined 56% in its second weekend, yet continued to lead box office sales

Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” continued to lead in box office sales in its second weekend bringing in estimated US$36m – a 56% drop in sales compared to its opening weekend where it lead the box office with US$84m. International sales declined by 34%.

In international markets, The Hobbit garnered sales of US$91m with US$16.8m from Russia – the largest international contributor. Compared to North American sales of US$149.9m, international sales total US$284m – representing 65% of overall sales for the movie’s first 10 days.

Industry insiders predict a total of US$200m sales by the end of the year, based on anticipation that audiences will expand during the holiday season.

The decline in sales follows a pattern of mid-December openings with established audiences which usually fall by about 50% in their second weekend. The Hobbit sales are similar to past films that include Skyfall (2012) with a decline of 61% in its second week, and Twilight (2012) dropping 69% in sales in its second weekend.

Historically, The Hobbit follows the same pattern of movies that include Tron: Legacy (2010) and I Am Legend (2007).

The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey is a prequel that takes place 60 years before The Lord of the Rings series (2001-2003) which is estimated to have earned US$6bn. This movies is expected to be followed by The Desolation of the Samug and There and Back again due to be released in 2013 and 2014 respectively.