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Hobbit watching: Sequel off to strong global start, premium viewing a boost

Dec. 14, 2013 10:23 AM ETTime Warner Inc. (TWX) StockTWX, IMAX, NWS, DLB, RLDBy: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is on a pace to earn $68M-$72M this weekend in the U.S. to fall short of the haul the first Hobbit movie delivered last year. A tough weather mix may have been a small factor.
  • The film has done very well in global markets, earning the top spot in box office rankings in several markets and staying well-ahead of the international pace of its predecessor. The film's strong tally in Mexico and Germany shocked analysts.
  • Warner Bros. (NYSE:TWX) is rolling the film out in international markets at a slower pace for strategic reasons. At the end of its protracted opening, media watchers expect Smaug to top the $1B global box office mark due to the strong global appeal it's displaying so far.
  • Hobbit spillover: Companies which might see a boost from the film's performance include  IMAX (NYSE:IMAX), Dolby (NYSE:DLB), and RealD (NYSE:RLD) as moviegoers indicate a willingness to pay up for premium viewing. News Corp (NASDAQ:NWS), which owns the Tolkien rights through HarperCollins Publishers, doesn't mind a little Hobbit fever as well.

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