Edena_of_Neith
First Post
To all of you non-Americans on these boards ... did you know that very few in my country have actually gone and seen FOTR?
Fewer than 1 out of 10 who could have gone.
There are nearly 300 million people in the United States.
Of that 300 million, perhaps 30% of the population are either too young, or too infirm, to have gone and seen FOTR.
That leaves around 200 million filmgoers.
The price of a ticket for a film in the United States varies greatly, ranging from $4 to $12 (or more!) depending where you live and what time of day you choose to see the film.
I am guessing the average for FOTR was around $7 a ticket.
Thus, if all 200 million possible filmgoers in the US had gone to see FOTR, and each had paid an average of $7, then FOTR would have grossed 1.4 billion dollars.
It would be the all time top grossing film in American history, by far, even adjusted for inflation.
Instead, it has grossed only 250 million dollars so far (it is expected to end it's run with 300 million.)
If you divide 250 million by 7, you get approximately 36 million.
36 million people, then, out of 200 million possible filmgoers, have gone to see the film.
But wait ...
According to various polls, most of those who have gone to see FOTR in the United States, have gone to see it more than once.
For example, one poll shows the following:
Once: 17%
Twice: 32%
Thrice: 23%
Four times: 12%
Five times: 6%
Six Times: 2.5%
Seven Times or More: 7%
Well then ... nearly everyone who has gone to see the film, has gone twice or more.
This halves the number of people who have seen the film (at least!) from the 36 million mentioned above, to ... maybe ... 18 million.
So, out of 200 million possible filmgoers, in a country with nearly 300 million people total, 18 million have bestirred themselves to go and see FOTR.
In other words, almost nobody in the United States has seen the film.
- - -
It is not due to a lack of critical acclaim; FOTR has received great critical acclaim.
Polls taken show the majority of those who have gone to see FOTR think either highly or very highly of it.
- - -
According to the Movie Times, the top grossing film of all time, adjusted for inflation, in the US was Gone with the Wind.
It grossed 198.60 million dollars.
Equivalent to 1,001.69 billion dollars today.
The film has had several rereleases, so I cannot say it made 198 million in 1939, when it premiered, but consider this:
Had it done so, it would have made 198 million at a time when there were only 180 million Americans, and the price of a movie ticket was 50 cents (if my parents are correct.)
Thus, there would have had to have been nearly 400 million tickets sold, to have made that 198 million.
On average, every person in the United States would have had to have gone and seen the film twice, to have accomplished that.
Now, the film has had rereleases, and I am sure every American alive at that time did not go and see Gone with the Wind twice at it's premiere.
However, Gone with the Wind is a household name in the US, and most older Americans have seen it at the box office.
- - -
The polls show that the critics think FOTR is one of the great films, a potential classic.
The polls show that the average American who has seen the film thinks of it very highly.
So, why is it that only 18 million Americans have gone to see this much acclaimed (and, more to the point, good enough to be worth the time and trouble of getting in your vehicle, driving to the movie theater, waiting in line, racing to get a good seat, then sitting for 3 hours in a seat 2 sizes too small) film?
Fewer than 1 out of 10 who could have gone.
There are nearly 300 million people in the United States.
Of that 300 million, perhaps 30% of the population are either too young, or too infirm, to have gone and seen FOTR.
That leaves around 200 million filmgoers.
The price of a ticket for a film in the United States varies greatly, ranging from $4 to $12 (or more!) depending where you live and what time of day you choose to see the film.
I am guessing the average for FOTR was around $7 a ticket.
Thus, if all 200 million possible filmgoers in the US had gone to see FOTR, and each had paid an average of $7, then FOTR would have grossed 1.4 billion dollars.
It would be the all time top grossing film in American history, by far, even adjusted for inflation.
Instead, it has grossed only 250 million dollars so far (it is expected to end it's run with 300 million.)
If you divide 250 million by 7, you get approximately 36 million.
36 million people, then, out of 200 million possible filmgoers, have gone to see the film.
But wait ...
According to various polls, most of those who have gone to see FOTR in the United States, have gone to see it more than once.
For example, one poll shows the following:
Once: 17%
Twice: 32%
Thrice: 23%
Four times: 12%
Five times: 6%
Six Times: 2.5%
Seven Times or More: 7%
Well then ... nearly everyone who has gone to see the film, has gone twice or more.
This halves the number of people who have seen the film (at least!) from the 36 million mentioned above, to ... maybe ... 18 million.
So, out of 200 million possible filmgoers, in a country with nearly 300 million people total, 18 million have bestirred themselves to go and see FOTR.
In other words, almost nobody in the United States has seen the film.
- - -
It is not due to a lack of critical acclaim; FOTR has received great critical acclaim.
Polls taken show the majority of those who have gone to see FOTR think either highly or very highly of it.
- - -
According to the Movie Times, the top grossing film of all time, adjusted for inflation, in the US was Gone with the Wind.
It grossed 198.60 million dollars.
Equivalent to 1,001.69 billion dollars today.
The film has had several rereleases, so I cannot say it made 198 million in 1939, when it premiered, but consider this:
Had it done so, it would have made 198 million at a time when there were only 180 million Americans, and the price of a movie ticket was 50 cents (if my parents are correct.)
Thus, there would have had to have been nearly 400 million tickets sold, to have made that 198 million.
On average, every person in the United States would have had to have gone and seen the film twice, to have accomplished that.
Now, the film has had rereleases, and I am sure every American alive at that time did not go and see Gone with the Wind twice at it's premiere.
However, Gone with the Wind is a household name in the US, and most older Americans have seen it at the box office.
- - -
The polls show that the critics think FOTR is one of the great films, a potential classic.
The polls show that the average American who has seen the film thinks of it very highly.
So, why is it that only 18 million Americans have gone to see this much acclaimed (and, more to the point, good enough to be worth the time and trouble of getting in your vehicle, driving to the movie theater, waiting in line, racing to get a good seat, then sitting for 3 hours in a seat 2 sizes too small) film?
The expected number of viewers I would guess at 3-4 + million... 500,000 first weekend.
I'll see if I can find some.
