The upcoming The Lord of the Rings movie may break the franchise’s streak, marking a difficult start for Warner Bros.’ planned IP expansion.
The War of the Rohirrim will be the first new The Lord of the Rings movie to hit theaters since 2014, and while that’s exciting for diehard fans of the franchise, it threatens the franchise’s positive box office streak. Despite the so-so reception of The Hobbit trilogy, all The Lord of the Rings movies boast great box office numbers. Not many movie franchises can say that, and it’s a testament to Peter Jackson’s fantasy films that they did so well over the course of two trilogies.
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Warner Bros. is hoping to capitalize on the success of The Lord of the Rings IP further in the future, and its upcoming animated movie is the first step toward realizing that goal. Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will venture further back in Middle-earth’s history than The Hobbit, detailing the story of the former king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. Its animated format will bring something new to the franchise, and its plot will expand on J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore. There are many benefits to The War of Rohirrim, but the film does come with one major risk for the Lord of the Rings franchise.
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No Lord Of The Rings Movie Has Made Less Than $891 Million At The Box Office
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies have all been massively successful upon their theatrical releases, with none of them making less than $891 million at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers). The Fellowship of the Ring made a little more than that upon its 2001 release, and its two sequels brought in even bigger box office hauls. 2002’s The Two Towers made around $919 worldwide, and The Return of the King surpassed $1 billion. Given the enduring popularity of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings adaptation, it’s no surprise that the films saw such commercial success — or that their numbers improved as the trilogy continued.
The Hobbit trilogy got more flak from critics and audiences than The Lord of the Rings, but Jackson’s second foray into Tolkien’s world still fared extremely well in theaters. Riding on the original trilogy’s success, 2012’s An Unexpected Journey grossed a little over $1 billion. Its sequels saw declining returns, but both still broke $900 million. Such numbers cement The Lord of the Rings franchise’s legacy, but unfortunately, The War of the Rohirrim is likely to break its box office streak.