Warner Bros. is banking that superfans (and super-spenders) will be willing to spend almost $40 to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smog…and that doesn’t even include the cost of popcorn!
The studio hopes this gambit for the big-budget film (opening midnight on Thursday) will relieve it of some of the financial burdens in an age when U.S. movie spending shows little growth, Bloomberg reports. The budget for the three Hobbit films may approach $600 million, according to published reports in October.
If you decide to spring for the “super tickets” to the second film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, expect to enjoy plush seats at a big-screen theater, an advance online copy (so you can enjoy the film on your couch or the subway) and an online version of the first movie.
Adding up the ticket sales (both super and non-super), market researcher BoxOffice.com estimates that the film will take in $280 million throughout its domestic run. But the success of the film really hinges on how it fares internationally. The first Hobbit film, An Unexpected Journey, grossed $1.02 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.