Rings Tops $1 billion

Peter Jackson will probably never have a problem securing finance for a film again with the news today that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King officially passed the $1bn mark at the worldwide box office. The third film in Jackson's Tolkien trilogy became only the second film in history to make so much money. However, New Line's money counters are hoping that Return of the King's earning power is still nowhere near its peak. The film has only just opened in Japan, while the running total in America has already sailed past the amount earned by The Two Towers. But it still has a way to go before it can threaten the reigning box office champion, Titanic, which grossed $1.8 bn. "It's a tremendous achievement and very gratifying to see the final movie in the trilogy crowned as the second highest grossing movie of all time,' New Line's , president and chief operating officer of worldwide distribution and marketing told ScreenDaily.com.