The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Poster
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Revenue (Daily) (with Theater Counts)

Domestic Total: 3.63M

Opening Weekend: 0.00

Legs: 1.04

Overview: As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​


TMDB

8.5

IMDB

9.0

Metacritic

94

RT Tomato

94

RT Popcorn

86

Letterboxd

4.53

Daily Table

DateRevenue% YDTheaters
Thu, Apr 13, 2023$1,176,085+ 0.00%1107
Mon, Jun 10, 2024$1,781,652+ 51.49%1172
Mon, Jun 17, 2024$513,409 -71.18%1024
Mon, Jun 24, 2024$155,866 -69.64%51
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Cast

NameCharacter
Elijah WoodFrodo
Ian McKellenGandalf
Viggo MortensenAragorn
Sean AstinSam
Andy SerkisGollum / Smeagol
Dominic MonaghanMerry
Billy BoydPippin
John NobleDenethor
David WenhamFaramir
Miranda OttoÉowyn
Bernard HillThéoden
John Rhys-DaviesGimli
Orlando BloomLegolas
Hugo WeavingElrond
Liv TylerArwen
Cate BlanchettGaladriel
Karl UrbanÉomer
Ian HolmBilbo
Sean BeanBoromir
Lawrence MakoareWitchking / Gothmog
Marton CsokasCeleborn
Paul NorellKing of the Dead
Noel ApplebyEverard Proudfoot
Sarah McLeodRosie Cotton
Ali AstinElanor Gamgee
Maisy McLeod-RieraBaby Gamgee
David AstonGondorian Soldier 3
John BachMadril
Sadwyn BrophyEldarion
Alistair BrowningDamrod
Richard EdgeGondorian Soldier 1
Jason FitchUruk 2
Bruce HopkinsGamling
Ian HughesIrolas
Bret McKenzieElf Escort
Bruce PhillipsGrimbold
Shane RangiHarad Leader 2
Todd RipponHarad Leader 1
Thomas RobinsDéagol
Harry SinclairIsildur
Peter TaitShagrat
Joel TobeckOrc Lieutenant 1
Stephen UreGorbag
Sala BakerFeatured Orc
Robert PollockFeatured Orc
Ross DuncanFeatured Orc
Pete SmithFeatured Orc
Jed BrophyFeatured Orc
Lee HartleyFeatured Orc
Billy JacksonFeatured Child
Katie JacksonFeatured Child
Alan HowardThe Ring (voice)
Jane AbbottCoronation Elf (uncredited)
Gino AcevedoCorsair of Umbar (uncredited)
Aidan BellOrc (uncredited)
Jarl BenzonCoronation Elf (uncredited)
Jørn BenzonRivendell Elf (uncredited)
Emma DeakinDiamond of Long Cleave (uncredited)
Michael ElsworthCírdan the Shipwright (uncredited)
Clint ElvyHaradrim Warrior (uncredited)
Zo HartleyOrc Helper (uncredited)
Peter JacksonCorsair Bosun (uncredited)
Sandro KoppCoronation Elf (uncredited)
Andrew LesnieCorsair of Umbar (uncredited)
Joseph Mika-HuntOrc (uncredited)
Henry MortensenPelennor Orc (uncredited)
Craig ParkerGothmog / Orc Lieutenant 1 (voice) (uncredited)
Rick PorrasCorsair of Umbar / Beacon Guard (uncredited)
Christian RiversCorsair of Umbar / Beacon Guard (uncredited)
Michael SemanickDrinking Rohan Soldier (uncredited)
Howard ShoreDrinking Rohan Soldier (uncredited)
John StephensonWitchking (voice) (uncredited)
Richard TaylorCorsair of Umbar (uncredited)
Royd TolkienGondorian Ranger (uncredited)
Sam KellyCoronation Elf/Gondorian Soldier (uncredited)

Comps

Comps are similar or comparison movies that are used for analysis and marketing purposes. The way they are found is described in more detail in the paper. Comps always have release dates before the movie they are compared to.

TitleRelease DateBudget
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Profitability Breakdown

Domestic

Week 1: $3.63M

Investor Share: $2.18M

Week 2: $0.00

Investor Share: $0.00

Week 3+: $0.00

Investor Share: $0.00

International

$742.36M (99.51%)

Investor Share: $259.83M

Costs

Budget: $94M


P&A: $94M

Breakdown

Gross: $745.99M


Net: $262M


Costs: $188M

Profit

Profit: $74M

The profitability breakdown is based on Dan Murrell's YouTube videos (Dan Murrell is not affiliated with Reel Numbers). The breakdown only includes the theatrical release and does not account for any post-theatrical revenue streams such as streaming, home video, or merchandise sales. Additionally, the breakdown does not include any tax incentives, sponsorships, or product placement that may have occurred during production.

Production Companies

The Saul Zaentz Company logo
WingNut Films logo
New Line Cinema logo