#20 - $1.017 billion However disappointed fans of that other trilogy set in Middle-Earth might have been with the movie itself, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was still a hit, and it became only the fifteenth film in history to reach $1 billion. The sequels fell slightly short of that landmark figure though, leaving this the only Hobbit movie to hold a place in the Top 25 highest grossing movies of all-time. The Hobbit obviously has very different kind of story and tone to The Lord Of The Rings, and that perhaps explains why both The Desolation Of Smaug and The Battle Of The Five Armies both earned less than the first instalment of this trilogy. While they didn't make significantly less, that drop was the opposite of how The Lord Of The Rings increased in popularity with each release. That takes nothing away from its accomplishments though, especially as An Unexpected Journey was the first movie to use the controversial and divisive HFR (High Frame Rate) technology. The response to that has meant it hasn't taken off like many expected, but with James Cameron planning on using a refined version for his Avatar sequels - if they ever happen - Jackson should be credited as the original pioneer for the technology. While Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein's novel was handled with respect and ultimately very good, the decision to split the movie into three hurt An Unexpected Journey. The material was stretched out to the point that they're best viewed in one lengthy sitting, but that didn't help anyone back in 2012!
