Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies’ Expected To Underwhelm Box Office?


With the third and final Hobbit film finding its way to theaters on December 17 in the U.S., Peter Jackson is finally putting a button on what he is calling the Middle Earth saga, which began with The Fellowship Of The Ring back in 2001. But does this simple fact ensure that the third Hobbit film will be a huge box office success? Box Office Mojo doesn’t seem to think so.

Taking in data from all the series entries, the trusted site notes a very definite downward trajectory for the franchise, starting from the first Hobbit.

“‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ earned 20 percent less than ‘The Return of the King,’ while ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ was off 15 percent from ‘An Unexpected Journey.’ The bleeding should slow down with ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ [as] ‘Smaug’ was widely considered an improvement over its predecessor, and franchise finales tend to do pretty well.”

However, unlike other installments, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies will be going up against other big films like Exodus: Gods And Kings, as well as Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb.

There is also a bit of fatigue with movies like The Hobbit — movies that are extended versions of the books from which they are derived. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 experienced a sharp decline in ticket sales compared to Catching Fire, and while some attribute that more to “Part 1-itis,” one can’t help but get the feeling that audiences are growing weary.

Lastly, there has been a general, overall downward trend in ticket sales. According to Box Office Mojo, November was down 10 percent from last year, and one can only expect the trend to continue for December, as The Hobbit doesn’t appear to be quite the juggernaut it was thought to be.

With all that said, Box Office Mojo predicts that ticket sales are practically guaranteed to be reduced (by about 5 to 10 percent compared to the second Hobbit), making The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies the least-attended film in the Middle Earth saga. Not quite the attraction MGM and Peter Jackson were hoping it would be, but still undoubtedly a success in the cash department overall (because those movies are still making lots of money).

What do you think? Do you expect a decline in ticket sales for The Hobbit, or will the third film surpass all expectations due to its apparent increase in quality from the first two films? Let us know!

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