Repertory screenings are a mixed bag when it comes to grabbing the attention of moviegoers. One would have thought that with the 2023 new movie releases already being stacked with movies like Renfield and Air in theaters, it’d be hard for something like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to make a significant dent at the box office. And yet, in the opening night of its recently extended run, Peter Jackson’s 20-year-old masterpiece brought in killer numbers, landing in second place on Thursday night’s roster.
According to a report from Yahoo, only The Super Mario Bros. Movie was able to defeat the Extended Edition screenings of this Academy Award-winning adaptation. J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive fantasy epic has made a name for itself once again on its first night back in theaters, because it brought in $1 million in ticket sales. It’s not that much of a surprise when taking into account that the initial two-night-only run by Fathom Events sold out due to “overwhelming fan demand” noted in a company press release.
