‘Lord of the Rings’ Is Box-Office King
LOS ANGELES – “The Two Towers” has scored a triple. “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” was the top film for a third weekend, taking in $25.65 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The middle chapter of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic, “The Two Towers” pushed its 19-day total to $261.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
With no big new films, box-office rankings shaped up much the same as last weekend. Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in a cat-and-mouse chase between a con man and an FBI agent, remained in second place with $21.3 million, lifting its 12-day total to $97.6 million.
Romantic comedies again held the No. 3 and 4 spots, with “Two Weeks Notice” grossing $11.6 million and “Maid in Manhattan” taking in $9 million.
In its first weekend of wide release after debuting in a handful of theaters last month, Jack Nicholson’s acclaimed black comedy “About Schmidt” climbed to No. 5 with $8.75 million. Nicholson plays a retired insurance actuary reassessing his life after his wife dies.
Also expanding was the musical “Chicago,” with Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, which came in at No. 9 with $5 million.
Playing in relatively narrow release at 816 theaters, “About Schmidt” averaged a healthy $10,723, while “Chicago” averaged $16,500 in 304 theaters. “The Two Towers” averaged $7,082 in 3,622 theaters, while “Catch Me If You Can” averaged $6,719 in 3,170 theaters.
“The Two Towers” has passed “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” which came out a month earlier and has reached a total gross of $252 million.
Worldwide, “Two Towers” has hit $560 million, and distributor New Line hopes it will top $1 billion and become the No. 2 film behind “Titanic,” which climbed to $1.8 billion.
“Two Towers” picks up where “Fellowship of the Ring” left off and leaves viewers hanging, awaiting the conclusion next December with “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
“This is a movie without a beginning and an end. It’s not a sequel but a continuation of a story,” said David Tuckerman, New Line head of distribution.
Several films that opened over the holidays to qualify for the Academy Awards continued to do well in limited release. “The Hours,” starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, grossed $326,000 in 11 theaters for a $29,636 average.
Spike Lee’s “The 25th Hour,” starring Edward Norton as a drug dealer on his last day of freedom before going to prison, earned $131,000 at five theaters to average $26,281.
George Clooney’s directing debut, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” with Sam Rockwell as game-show host Chuck Barris in a fictionalized thriller, took in $91,789 at four theaters for a $22,947 average.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” $25.65 million.
2. “Catch Me If You Can,” $21.3 million.
3. “Two Weeks Notice,” $11.6 million.
4. “Maid in Manhattan,” $9 million.
5. “About Schmidt,” $8.75 million.
6. “Gangs of New York,” $7.4 million.
7. “Drumline,” $5.6 million.
8. “The Wild Thornberrys Movie,” $5.5 million.
9. “Chicago,” $5 million.
10. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” $4.5 million.
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