Movie Comparison: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) vs. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

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Similar movies to first movie (click to add): Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), Aladdin (2019)

Popular comparisons with first movie (click to add): The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Avatar (2009), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

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  The Hobbit:
An Unexpected
Journey
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
Domestic Release Date Dec 14, 2012Dec 17, 2003
Production Budget $200,000,000$94,000,000
Opening Weekend Theaters 4,0453,703
Maximum Theaters 4,1003,703
Theatrical Engagements 27,71935,419
Domestic Opening Weekend $84,617,303$72,629,713
Domestic Box Office $303,003,568$381,472,917
Inflation Adjusted
Domestic Box Office
$409,239,868$674,274,512
International Box Office $711,934,977$742,364,991
Worldwide Box Office $1,014,938,545$1,123,837,908
  RemoveRemove

  1. Daily Comparison
  2. Weekend Comparison
  3. Week Comparison
  The Hobbit:
An Unexpected
Journey
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
1st Friday $37,125,547 /
$37,125,547
$21,811,549 /
$73,282,370
1st Saturday $27,739,815 /
$64,865,362
$27,492,053 /
$100,774,423
1st Sunday $19,751,941 /
$84,617,303
$23,326,111 /
$124,100,534
1st Monday $7,738,293 /
$92,355,596
$13,563,208 /
$137,663,742
1st Tuesday $7,855,090 /
$100,210,686
$12,476,242 /
$150,139,984
1st Wednesday $6,327,187 /
$106,537,873
$7,544,400 /
$157,684,384
1st Thursday $6,615,027 /
$113,152,900
$13,986,220 /
$171,670,604
2nd Friday $10,078,827 /
$123,231,727
$19,152,196 /
$190,822,800
2nd Saturday $14,160,166 /
$137,391,893
$17,249,267 /
$208,072,067
2nd Sunday $12,649,372 /
$150,041,265
$14,196,641 /
$222,268,708
2nd Monday $6,897,267 /
$156,938,532
$10,490,000 /
$232,759,000
2nd Tuesday $11,238,529 /
$168,177,061
$9,615,000 /
$241,937,000
2nd Wednesday $11,388,229 /
$179,565,290
$7,500,000 /
$249,400,000
2nd Thursday $10,135,524 /
$189,700,814
$11,950,000 /
$261,350,000
3rd Friday $10,619,334 /
$200,320,148
$10,602,130 /
$272,832,713
3rd Saturday $11,588,637 /
$211,908,785
$10,563,221 /
$283,395,934
3rd Sunday $9,718,097 /
$221,626,882
$7,015,027 /
$290,410,961
3rd Monday $6,919,722 /
$228,546,604
$2,382,000 /
$292,793,000
3rd Tuesday $9,454,721 /
$238,001,325
$2,180,000 /
$294,972,000
3rd Wednesday $4,449,012 /
$242,450,337
$1,921,000 /
$296,894,000
3rd Thursday $3,839,170 /
$246,289,507
$1,652,000 /
$298,112,000
4th Friday $5,172,345 /
$251,461,852
$3,600,000 /
$301,700,000
4th Saturday $7,629,018 /
$259,090,870
$6,439,410 /
$308,228,208
4th Sunday $4,744,023 /
$263,834,893
$4,092,728 /
$312,320,936
4th Monday $1,311,112 /
$265,146,005
$1,177,000 /
$313,497,000
4th Tuesday $1,571,276 /
$266,717,281
$1,218,000 /
$314,716,000
4th Wednesday $1,174,496 /
$267,891,777
$1,057,000 /
$315,773,000
4th Thursday $1,152,410 /
$269,044,187
$1,036,000 /
$316,593,000
5th Friday $2,349,056 /
$271,393,243
$2,376,259 /
$318,968,891
5th Saturday $4,190,664 /
$275,583,907
$4,614,194 /
$323,583,085
5th Sunday $2,628,711 /
$278,212,618
$3,229,017 /
$326,812,102
5th Monday $657,165 /
$278,869,783
$2,228,291 /
$329,040,393
5th Tuesday $819,287 /
$279,689,070
$762,000 /
$329,802,000
5th Wednesday $638,323 /
$280,327,393
$599,000 /
$330,401,000
5th Thursday $662,348 /
$280,989,741
$642,000 /
$331,032,000
6th Friday $1,452,459 /
$282,442,200
$1,500,000 /
$332,500,000
6th Saturday $2,820,219 /
$285,262,419
$3,158,167 /
$335,700,055
6th Sunday $1,904,263 /
$287,166,682
$2,117,943 /
$337,817,998
6th Monday $1,446,369 /
$288,613,051
$536,000 /
$338,354,000
6th Tuesday $508,007 /
$289,121,058
$556,000 /
$338,910,000
6th Wednesday $409,182 /
$289,530,240
$590,000 /
$339,500,000
6th Thursday $408,230 /
$289,938,470
$552,000 /
$340,021,000
7th Friday $716,795 /
$290,655,265
$1,400,000 /
$341,400,000
7th Saturday $1,647,767 /
$292,303,032
$2,739,574 /
$344,131,995
7th Sunday $1,020,799 /
$293,323,831
$1,199,820 /
$345,331,815
7th Monday $239,134 /
$293,562,965
$403,000 /
$345,735,000
7th Tuesday $268,173 /
$293,831,138
$416,000 /
$346,151,000
7th Wednesday $220,342 /
$294,051,480
$381,000 /
$346,532,000
7th Thursday $241,040 /
$294,292,520
$352,000 /
$346,840,000
8th Friday $498,915 /
$294,791,435
$900,000 /
$347,700,000
8th Saturday $1,008,214 /
$295,799,649
$2,014,866 /
$349,762,348
8th Sunday $394,035 /
$296,193,684
$1,370,995 /
$351,133,343
8th Monday $155,053 /
$296,348,737
$308,000 /
$351,441,343
8th Tuesday $193,200 /
$296,541,937
$286,000 /
$351,727,000
8th Wednesday $155,033 /
$296,696,970
$267,000 /
$351,994,000
8th Thursday $168,082 /
$296,865,052
$303,000 /
$352,278,000
9th Friday $309,527 /
$297,174,579
$800,000 /
$353,100,000
9th Saturday $702,873 /
$297,877,452
$1,957,907 /
$355,035,095
9th Sunday $455,974 /
$298,333,426
$1,429,675 /
$356,464,770
9th Monday $148,366 /
$298,481,792
$903,281 /
$357,367,856
9th Tuesday $128,138 /
$298,609,930
$335,000 /
$357,702,000
9th Wednesday $112,202 /
$298,722,132
$298,000 /
$358,001,000
9th Thursday $162,213 /
$298,884,345
$293,000 /
$358,268,000
10th Friday $217,063 /
$299,101,408
$600,000 /
$358,900,000
10th Saturday $426,396 /
$299,527,804
$1,299,866 /
$360,222,047
10th Sunday $346,902 /
$299,874,706
$896,887 /
$361,118,934
10th Monday $286,579 /
$300,161,285
$207,000 /
$361,326,000
10th Tuesday $88,138 /
$300,249,423
$215,000 /
$361,541,000
10th Wednesday $73,468 /
$300,322,891
$188,000 /
$361,742,000
10th Thursday $79,005 /
$300,401,896
$198,000 /
$361,941,000
  The Hobbit:
An Unexpected
Journey
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
Opening Weekend $84,617,303 /
$84,617,303
$72,629,713 /
$124,100,534
2nd Weekend $36,888,365 /
$150,041,265
$50,598,104 /
$222,268,708
3rd Weekend $31,926,068 /
$221,626,882
$28,180,378 /
$290,410,961
4th Weekend $17,545,386 /
$263,834,893
$14,209,098 /
$312,320,936
5th Weekend $9,168,431 /
$278,212,618
$10,219,470 /
$326,812,102
6th Weekend $6,176,941 /
$287,166,682
$6,785,756 /
$337,817,998
7th Weekend $3,385,361 /
$293,323,831
$5,310,803 /
$345,331,815
8th Weekend $1,901,164 /
$296,193,684
$4,293,671 /
$351,133,343
9th Weekend $1,468,374 /
$298,333,426
$4,187,000 /
$356,464,575
10th Weekend $990,361 /
$299,874,706
$2,850,455 /
$361,118,934
11th Weekend $550,483 /
$300,952,379
$2,174,665 /
$364,115,612
12th Weekend $267,754 /
$301,402,746
$3,037,822 /
$368,210,170
13th Weekend $378,936 /
$301,874,933
$2,021,501 /
$371,147,794
14th Weekend $317,818 /
$302,393,021
$1,350,748 /
$373,359,557
15th Weekend $178,205 /
$302,695,938
$705,817 /
$374,556,572
16th Weekend $69,568 /
$302,849,493
$373,903 /
$375,204,550
17th Weekend $39,325 /
$302,932,624
$289,233 /
$375,667,233
18th Weekend $30,686 /
$302,975,075
$227,321 /
$376,058,551
19th Weekend $18,817 /
$303,001,229
$194,730 /
$376,337,432
20th Weekend - /
-
$154,631 /
$376,556,583
  The Hobbit:
An Unexpected
Journey
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
Opening Week $113,152,900 /
$113,152,900
$51,470,821 /
$51,470,821
2nd Week $76,547,914 /
$189,700,814
$120,199,783 /
$171,670,604
3rd Week $56,588,693 /
$246,289,507
$90,559,979 /
$262,230,583
4th Week $22,754,680 /
$269,044,187
$35,881,255 /
$298,111,838
5th Week $11,945,554 /
$280,989,741
$18,480,794 /
$316,592,632
6th Week $8,948,729 /
$289,938,470
$14,439,610 /
$331,032,242
7th Week $4,354,050 /
$294,292,520
$8,988,770 /
$340,021,012
8th Week $2,572,532 /
$296,865,052
$6,818,660 /
$346,839,672
9th Week $2,019,293 /
$298,884,345
$5,437,903 /
$352,277,575
10th Week $1,517,551 /
$300,401,896
$5,990,904 /
$358,268,479
11th Week $733,096 /
$301,134,992
$3,672,468 /
$361,940,947
12th Week $361,005 /
$301,495,997
$3,231,401 /
$365,172,348
13th Week $579,206 /
$302,075,203
$3,953,945 /
$369,126,293
14th Week $442,530 /
$302,517,733
$2,882,516 /
$372,008,809
15th Week $262,192 /
$302,779,925
$1,841,946 /
$373,850,755
16th Week $113,374 /
$302,893,299
$979,892 /
$374,830,647
17th Week $51,090 /
$302,944,389
$547,353 /
$375,378,000
18th Week $38,023 /
$302,982,412
$453,230 /
$375,831,230
19th Week $21,156 /
$303,003,568
$311,472 /
$376,142,702
20th Week - /
-
$259,250 /
$376,401,952

Note: A theatrical engagement is defined as the movie playing in a single theater for one week. So, for example, a film that plays in 3,000 theaters in its first week and 2,000 theaters in its second week will have had 5,000 theatrical engagements.