Movie Comparison: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) vs. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

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Similar movies to first movie (click to add): The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Popular comparisons with first movie (click to add): The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), The Jungle Book (2016), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

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  The Hobbit:
The Desolation
of Smaug
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
Domestic Release Date Dec 13, 2013Dec 17, 2003
Production Budget $250,000,000$94,000,000
Opening Weekend Theaters 3,9033,703
Maximum Theaters 3,9283,703
Theatrical Engagements 25,15035,419
Domestic Opening Weekend $73,645,197$72,629,713
Domestic Box Office $258,241,522$381,472,917
Inflation Adjusted
Domestic Box Office
$342,225,923$674,274,512
International Box Office $701,116,914$742,364,991
Worldwide Box Office $959,358,436$1,123,837,908
  RemoveRemove

  1. Daily Comparison
  2. Weekend Comparison
  3. Week Comparison
  The Hobbit:
The Desolation
of Smaug
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
1st Friday $31,190,587 /
$31,190,587
$21,811,549 /
$73,282,370
1st Saturday $24,430,416 /
$55,621,003
$27,492,053 /
$100,774,423
1st Sunday $18,024,194 /
$73,645,197
$23,326,111 /
$124,100,534
1st Monday $6,202,204 /
$79,847,401
$13,563,208 /
$137,663,742
1st Tuesday $6,295,431 /
$86,142,832
$12,476,242 /
$150,139,984
1st Wednesday $4,855,421 /
$90,998,253
$7,544,400 /
$157,684,384
1st Thursday $5,047,164 /
$96,045,417
$13,986,220 /
$171,670,604
2nd Friday $8,626,059 /
$104,671,476
$19,152,196 /
$190,822,800
2nd Saturday $12,270,560 /
$116,942,036
$17,249,267 /
$208,072,067
2nd Sunday $10,608,659 /
$127,550,695
$14,196,641 /
$222,268,708
2nd Monday $7,823,089 /
$135,373,784
$10,490,000 /
$232,759,000
2nd Tuesday $5,265,696 /
$140,639,480
$9,615,000 /
$241,937,000
2nd Wednesday $9,306,295 /
$149,945,775
$7,500,000 /
$249,400,000
2nd Thursday $10,523,771 /
$160,469,546
$11,950,000 /
$261,350,000
3rd Friday $10,005,121 /
$170,474,667
$10,602,130 /
$272,832,713
3rd Saturday $10,585,522 /
$181,060,189
$10,563,221 /
$283,395,934
3rd Sunday $8,441,089 /
$189,501,278
$7,015,027 /
$290,410,961
3rd Monday $6,513,554 /
$195,889,499
$2,382,000 /
$292,793,000
3rd Tuesday $5,527,246 /
$201,416,745
$2,180,000 /
$294,972,000
3rd Wednesday $7,792,174 /
$209,208,919
$1,921,000 /
$296,894,000
3rd Thursday $4,050,170 /
$213,259,089
$1,652,000 /
$298,112,000
4th Friday $5,097,416 /
$218,356,505
$3,600,000 /
$301,700,000
4th Saturday $6,671,108 /
$225,027,613
$6,439,410 /
$308,228,208
4th Sunday $3,906,696 /
$228,934,309
$4,092,728 /
$312,320,936
4th Monday $1,301,012 /
$230,235,321
$1,177,000 /
$313,497,000
4th Tuesday $1,568,252 /
$231,803,573
$1,218,000 /
$314,716,000
4th Wednesday $1,171,342 /
$232,974,915
$1,057,000 /
$315,773,000
4th Thursday $1,104,187 /
$234,079,102
$1,036,000 /
$316,593,000
5th Friday $2,045,067 /
$236,124,169
$2,376,259 /
$318,968,891
5th Saturday $3,689,798 /
$239,813,967
$4,614,194 /
$323,583,085
5th Sunday $2,287,488 /
$242,101,455
$3,229,017 /
$326,812,102
5th Monday $618,160 /
$242,719,615
$2,228,291 /
$329,040,393
5th Tuesday $783,236 /
$243,502,851
$762,000 /
$329,802,000
5th Wednesday $594,455 /
$244,097,306
$599,000 /
$330,401,000
5th Thursday $597,206 /
$244,694,512
$642,000 /
$331,032,000
6th Friday $894,220 /
$245,588,732
$1,500,000 /
$332,500,000
6th Saturday $1,751,111 /
$247,339,843
$3,158,167 /
$335,700,055
6th Sunday $1,059,626 /
$248,399,469
$2,117,943 /
$337,817,998
6th Monday $835,207 /
$249,234,676
$536,000 /
$338,354,000
6th Tuesday $321,185 /
$249,555,861
$556,000 /
$338,910,000
6th Wednesday $247,274 /
$249,803,135
$590,000 /
$339,500,000
6th Thursday $250,456 /
$250,053,591
$552,000 /
$340,021,000
7th Friday $500,275 /
$250,553,866
$1,400,000 /
$341,400,000
7th Saturday $1,001,289 /
$251,555,155
$2,739,574 /
$344,131,995
7th Sunday $645,850 /
$252,201,005
$1,199,820 /
$345,331,815
7th Monday $162,222 /
$252,363,227
$403,000 /
$345,735,000
7th Tuesday $213,005 /
$252,576,232
$416,000 /
$346,151,000
7th Wednesday $159,753 /
$252,735,985
$381,000 /
$346,532,000
7th Thursday $168,496 /
$252,904,481
$352,000 /
$346,840,000
8th Friday $337,645 /
$253,242,126
$900,000 /
$347,700,000
8th Saturday $657,114 /
$253,899,240
$2,014,866 /
$349,762,348
8th Sunday $240,343 /
$254,139,583
$1,370,995 /
$351,133,343
8th Monday $108,140 /
$254,247,723
$308,000 /
$351,441,343
8th Tuesday $124,460 /
$254,372,183
$286,000 /
$351,727,000
8th Wednesday $102,396 /
$254,474,579
$267,000 /
$351,994,000
8th Thursday $110,266 /
$254,584,845
$303,000 /
$352,278,000
9th Friday $157,707 /
$254,742,552
$800,000 /
$353,100,000
9th Saturday $327,045 /
$255,069,597
$1,957,907 /
$355,035,095
9th Sunday $203,444 /
$255,273,041
$1,429,675 /
$356,464,770
9th Monday $66,202 /
$255,339,243
$903,281 /
$357,367,856
9th Tuesday $69,494 /
$255,408,737
$335,000 /
$357,702,000
9th Wednesday $42,170 /
$255,450,907
$298,000 /
$358,001,000
9th Thursday $49,137 /
$255,500,044
$293,000 /
$358,268,000
10th Friday $143,597 /
$255,643,641
$600,000 /
$358,900,000
10th Saturday $198,004 /
$255,841,645
$1,299,866 /
$360,222,047
10th Sunday $155,908 /
$255,997,553
$896,887 /
$361,118,934
10th Monday $108,755 /
$256,106,308
$207,000 /
$361,326,000
10th Tuesday $43,212 /
$256,149,520
$215,000 /
$361,541,000
10th Wednesday $34,465 /
$256,183,985
$188,000 /
$361,742,000
10th Thursday $34,426 /
$256,218,411
$198,000 /
$361,941,000
  The Hobbit:
The Desolation
of Smaug
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
Opening Weekend $73,645,197 /
$73,645,197
$72,629,713 /
$124,100,534
2nd Weekend $31,505,278 /
$127,550,695
$50,598,104 /
$222,268,708
3rd Weekend $28,906,399 /
$189,375,945
$28,180,378 /
$290,410,961
4th Weekend $15,675,220 /
$228,934,309
$14,209,098 /
$312,320,936
5th Weekend $8,022,353 /
$242,101,455
$10,219,470 /
$326,812,102
6th Weekend $3,704,957 /
$248,399,469
$6,785,756 /
$337,817,998
7th Weekend $2,147,414 /
$252,201,005
$5,310,803 /
$345,331,815
8th Weekend $1,235,102 /
$254,139,583
$4,293,671 /
$351,133,343
9th Weekend $688,196 /
$255,273,041
$4,187,000 /
$356,464,575
10th Weekend $497,509 /
$255,997,553
$2,850,455 /
$361,118,934
11th Weekend $293,130 /
$256,511,541
$2,174,665 /
$364,115,612
12th Weekend $213,073 /
$256,835,852
$3,037,822 /
$368,210,170
13th Weekend $344,209 /
$257,272,183
$2,021,501 /
$371,147,794
14th Weekend $248,215 /
$257,680,307
$1,350,748 /
$373,359,557
15th Weekend $135,467 /
$257,913,843
$705,817 /
$374,556,572
16th Weekend $103,597 /
$258,080,920
$373,903 /
$375,204,550
17th Weekend $60,720 /
$258,181,971
$289,233 /
$375,667,233
18th Weekend $27,379 /
$258,230,021
$227,321 /
$376,058,551
19th Weekend - /
-
$194,730 /
$376,337,432
20th Weekend - /
-
$154,631 /
$376,556,583
  The Hobbit:
The Desolation
of Smaug
The Lord
of the Rings:
The Return
of the King
Opening Week $96,045,417 /
$96,045,417
$51,470,821 /
$51,470,821
2nd Week $64,424,129 /
$160,469,546
$120,199,783 /
$171,670,604
3rd Week $33,857,811 /
$213,259,089
$90,559,979 /
$262,230,583
4th Week $20,820,013 /
$234,079,102
$35,881,255 /
$298,111,838
5th Week $10,615,410 /
$244,694,512
$18,480,794 /
$316,592,632
6th Week $5,359,079 /
$250,053,591
$14,439,610 /
$331,032,242
7th Week $2,850,890 /
$252,904,481
$8,988,770 /
$340,021,012
8th Week $1,680,364 /
$254,584,845
$6,818,660 /
$346,839,672
9th Week $915,199 /
$255,500,044
$5,437,903 /
$352,277,575
10th Week $718,367 /
$256,218,411
$5,990,904 /
$358,268,479
11th Week $404,368 /
$256,622,779
$3,672,468 /
$361,940,947
12th Week $305,195 /
$256,927,974
$3,231,401 /
$365,172,348
13th Week $504,118 /
$257,432,092
$3,953,945 /
$369,126,293
14th Week $346,284 /
$257,778,376
$2,882,516 /
$372,008,809
15th Week $198,947 /
$257,977,323
$1,841,946 /
$373,850,755
16th Week $143,928 /
$258,121,251
$979,892 /
$374,830,647
17th Week $81,391 /
$258,202,642
$547,353 /
$375,378,000
18th Week $38,880 /
$258,241,522
$453,230 /
$375,831,230
19th Week - /
-
$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.