BURBANK, CA – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has surpassed the $500 million benchmark at the worldwide box office. To date, the blockbuster has earned an estimated $179.7 million domestically. In addition, on the heels of its record-breaking release in Australia — the biggest Boxing Day opening of all time — The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has grossed an estimated $344 million internationally, for a staggering global total of $523.7 million, and still steadily climbing.
The joint announcement was made by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema; Gary Barber, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios; Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures; and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
"We are extremely gratified by the response of moviegoers who love the film and, in many cases, are taking this terrifically entertaining 'Journey' to Middle-earth more than once," said Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "We anticipate that positive word of mouth and repeat viewings will continue to result in strong returns well into the New Year."
Kwan Vandenberg added, "These fantastic box office numbers demonstrate that the film's playability has no borders. Peter Jackson has created a truly global event with a film that thrills audiences in any language. Warner Bros. joins our partners at MGM and New Line in congratulating him, his cast and crew, and everyone involved in this film on this milestone."
The Hobbit follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild.
Starring Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ian McKellen s, the first installment in Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s epic The Hobbit Trilogy, based on the timeless novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, opened wide in the U.S. on December 14.
Source: New Line Cinema/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures