Repertory screenings are a mixed bag when it comes to grabbing the attention of moviegoers. One would have thought that with the 2023 new movie releases already being stacked with movies like Renfield and Air in theaters, it’d be hard for something like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to make a significant dent at the box office. And yet, in the opening night of its recently extended run, Peter Jackson’s 20-year-old masterpiece brought in killer numbers, landing in second place on Thursday night’s roster.
According to a report from Yahoo, only The Super Mario Bros. Movie was able to defeat the Extended Edition screenings of this Academy Award-winning adaptation. J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive fantasy epic has made a name for itself once again on its first night back in theaters, because it brought in $1 million in ticket sales. It’s not that much of a surprise when taking into account that the initial two-night-only run by Fathom Events sold out due to “overwhelming fan demand” noted in a company press release.
The 2003 trilogy ender from New Line Cinema also sold out its second initially planned night, which was set to take place Wednesday, April 19. Thanks to that demand, Return of the King’s opening night could be a sign of things to come, as Fathom eventually extended the run to span the entire week, ending now on Thursday, April 20. Each day of this extended run there will only be one or two showings for the film, as this is the Extended Edition, which adds 50 minutes to the runtime, clocking the entire film in at 4 hours and 23 minutes.
One also can’t undervalue the effect Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may have had on this repertory release. While Season 1’s status as a streaming hit is in question, the value of the brand clearly isn’t. Not even the middling reception fans still have to Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy seems to have dulled the edge of this particular blade, and that’s good news for the future.
As I am still a staunch defender of longer run times at the movies, seeing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King luring crowds back to the theaters for another helping is a hopeful sign. This is especially good news with Warner Bros’ new run of Lord of the Rings movies being announced a couple of months ago.
Whether or not Peter Jackson is involved, this result could mean that whoever tackles the next chapter of Middle Earth’s cinematic history may not be limited to the usual lengths that dictate more showtimes available at the box office. The success of the re-released extended edition of Return of the King plus the impact of the series Rings of Power, could mean more long-form LOTR content in our future.
Return of the King’s Extended Edition theatrical run is currently underway, with showings slated until next Thursday night; so Middle Earth loyalists are going to want to book their seats as soon as possible. Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently in production on Season 2, which does not have a premiere date just yet. Last, but not least, Warner Bros. has its animated feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim to look forward to as well; though that movie is slated to be released on April 12, 2024. Overall, I think it's safe to say that the LOTR fandom is being well-fed, between nostalgic theatrical throwbacks and the newer content coming out over the next few years.
