Box Office Mojo
December 23, 2001

FotR Draws $17 Million Saturday
Staff Reporter

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ruled them all at the weekend box office, drawing an estimated $45.3 million over the Friday-Sunday period and lifting its five-day total to $71.5 million. In the process, it handily broke the December weekend record set by Ocean's Eleven's $38.1 million bow two weekends ago.

Breaking the weekend down, Rings grabbed about $14.3 million on Friday, $17 million on Saturday and projected to do about $13.9 million on Sunday. Its on track to do over $60 million for the five-day Christmas weekend (Friday-Tuesday), likely propelling its first week gross into the $90 million range and setting a course for around $150 million by the end of the year.

Overseas, Rings also pulled in an estimated $60 million in its first five days in 15 countries (13 in Europe plus New Zealand and South Africa). Leading the pack were the United Kingdom with $16 million, Germany with $13.5 million, France with $8.4 million and Spain with $4.8 million.

Add the two tallies together and Rings has around $131 million worldwide, which would make the 28th highest grossing picture of the year so far.

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