14 DAY TRIAL // It was all about hobbits and dragons this weekend in theaters, as “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” managed to become the number one grossing movie, dethroning the animated comedy “Frozen.”
Despite the announced $73.7 million (€53.6 million) gross in the opening weekend and also general positive reviews, “The Desolation of Smaug” actually earned less than the studio had projected: about $6 million less (€4.36 million) and even less than its predecessor, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which received slightly worse reviews.
The second part of the trilogy follows the hobbit Bilbo Baggings on his amazing journey through Middle Earth, as told by the novel written in 1937 by J. R. R. Tolkien.
The franchise enjoys a significantly large fan base, which was expected to hit theaters and snag up even the “super tickets” the cinemas were offering at $40 (€29.04) to include plush seats and an online version of the previous movie in the price.
The last part of “The Hobbit” trilogy, “There and Back Again” is set to come out next year and complete the story of Bilbo, played by Martin Freeman.