$9.2m/$700m

While it is good and all the drop this weekend for Hobbit is a little too big IMO. It barely touched the opening 3-day total in its sophomore week and $9.2 would mean 50% drop from 18.6m opening.

Fantastic result for the best blockbuster of 2012!!!

congrats to the hobbit

OS: $708.1m

Can it catch Alice (about $15m away)??

I think it can but according to Algren the competition ahead is very strong. It made only $4.5m this weekend so getting another $15m does not look good IMO unless there are some holdover markets that can carry it to the mark.

No, it can't. It'll have one more week in China, then it's pretty much over. Another $5m - $7m, i guess.

Ah ok, what a shame. Would have been nice to see it pass Alice and maybe even Phantom Menace.

Hopefully Smaug can do it.

$1.5m/$711.5m

Beat The Dark Knight

Balance is restored.

I am surprised that we got an update for this week from China, I mean the gross is so tiny and all.

Looks like it will miss $1.02b marginally.

And so it begins again my friends...the dragon awakes

I'm really looking forward to this next round, the comments so far from the initial press screenings and premiere has me quite excited. Cautious but hopeful.

See you guys around, can't wait to see the movie in under 8 days. Yes, you heard it right...no longer do I have to wait until Boxing Day (as per the Australian scenario)...i'll be joining the Londoners this time round.

BTW - I was at the London fan event for The Hobbit DOS a month ago and my god, it was easily the geekiest day of my life. I still smile each time I think about it.

Bring it on!

It's that time of year again, eh? Next weeks are gonna be fun but also full of trepidation.

I'm debating whether i should quit the internet for a week, don't wanna read all the opinions about DOS before seeing it for myself at least twice. Last year i tried and failed miserably...

About 5 more days here when it gets released. Very excited to see it in IMAX and the early reviews have me even more excited.

I'll have to wait until March if I see it in China. But I'll travel to Hong Kong again, so I will see it on 14th or 15th Dec.

In my opinion, the marketing has been so quiet for this.

Yeah WB has dropped the ball on the marketing again.

Archangel welcome back. So London eh. Good stuff .

We have to wait until Boxing Day.

I mean, to a certain degree, the film markets itself, but I've not seen anything to remarkably distinguish itself from the other 4 films set in the same world. All the posters and trailers look the same, and then what else? They will probably release merchandise and toys but none of it will distinguish itself as its own movie. At a glance, it will just be "part of the LOTR films", until you get that figurine and look at the title logo and realise it says Desolation of Smaug. The same applies to the posters.

They're not selling this is a movie. It's being sold as "one of those Tolkien movies is out again", so they don't make any effort to sell THIS movies' strengths, instead they just rely on the power of the brand/franchise and hope it goes from there. This is really risky. But I suppose if WB is happy with a stable gross, then so be it.

That's right. It certainly markets itself - but why not reach out further and get say that action crowd (this one looks more action orientated).

I remember with the LOTR films - some people hated the fantasy aspects of the first film but then loved The Two Towers for the battles/war etc.

So yeah they should sell this movie for what it is - a stand alone film that is part of a larger trilogy.

Opening day France:

262,745 admissions H2
251,817 admissions H1

More than half the seats are still unsold for tonight's IMAX HFR show at my local theatre which typically sells out a week in advance for this type of event movie.

That's a nice bump.