The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey dominated the box office this weekend breaking December opening records and bringing in $84.7 million in sales.
The Hobbit, the first release in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” prequel trilogy, was the #1 film in the country this weekend as it took over the record as highest grossing December release from 2007’s “I am Legend.”
Fans began lining up Thursday night for midnight screening around the country, which earned about $13 million. The movie took in $37.5 million on Friday and $28.15 on Saturday with as much as 49% of the revenue coming from higher priced 3D and IMAX screenings.
The Hobbit is not receiving the same critical attention as the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy but the lackluster reviews do not seem to be deterring fans. The second part of the trilogy “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is set to be released sometime in 2013 with the final installment of the trilogy to follow in 2014.

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“The Hobbit”, the first installment of the trilogy, is off to a slow start, but lovers of the novel will still enjoy the film.

The film begins with a brief explanation as to how the dwarves lost their home to Smaugthe dragon, and reintroduces viewers to the bucolic Shire and Bilbo, kinsman of Frodo from “Lord of the Rings”.

Bilbo’s happy life is disturb by Gandalf the Wizard and his band of rowdy dwarves. They disrupt Bilbo’s home by eating his food, playing Frisbee inside, and having burping contest. This begins the dark journey that lies ahead for Bilbo, but the the first third of the nearly three hour film is similar to a children’s special. The film is shot in 48 frames per second, which makes the images seem brighter and oddly fake. However, Most theaters will not be able to show that version of the film.

Bilbo leaves his home to take an adventure that leads him to meet up with mountain trolls, goblins, demonic wolves and more. Gollum, the creepy big eyed ring-loving creature, returns as the two play an abbreviated version of the book’s riddle game.

“The Hobbit” is meant to be a shorter book version of “The Lord of the Rings” made for children. However, Peter Jackson takes the film in  a darker direction. While the first film was off to a slow start, the trilogy is sure to appease the many lovers of the book trilogy.

Shanika Simmons 

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Representatives for the estate of legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien filed a lawsuit on Monday against the producer’s behind the much anticipated “The Hobbit,” claiming that they have engaged in unauthorized merchandizing.

The $80 million law suit seeks damages for breach of contract and copyright infringement against both Warner Brothers and Saul Zaentz Company. The estate is claiming that the original agreement allowed the production company to produce only “tangible” merchandise not a “online slot machine” or other digital products that the estate is calling highly offensive.

The estate first learned of the slot machine back in 2010 via a spam email and has since sought legal counsel to determine the scope of the merchandising rights agreement that was made back in 1969.  According to the complaint: “The original contracting parties thus contemplated a limited grant of the right to sell consumer products of the type regularly merchandised at the time such as figurines, tableware, stationary items, clothing and the like. They did not include any grant of exploitations such as electronic or digital rights, rights in media yet to be devised or other intangibles such as rights in service.”

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