10 Hugely Successful Movies You Didn't Realise LOST Money
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings trilogy needs no introduction. It is one of the most successful film franchises of all time, having grossed a staggering $2.9 billion from just three entries. It have become a staple in pop culture and is recognized the world over.
The third film in the trilogy, The Return of the King, is also the second film in cinematic history to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, just behind James Cameron's Titanic.
It is surprising then that, according to New Line, the production company, that the films showed great losses.
Once again, big marketing costs and sneaky Hollywood accounting meant that the film technically never made money, despite the clear profits.
Peter Jackson, the trilogy's director, even went into a lawsuit over his lack of payment from the additional merchandise that was made from the film.
He pointed out that every penny is counted by the studios, meaning that getting payments out is unlikely. These studios are extremely frugal, and keep every bit of money that they can.
Even one of the most successful trilogies of all time cannot stay clear of Hollywood accounting.