Warner Bros delayed the third "Hobbit" movie by five months according to a number of reports. The third film in the trilogy "The Hobbit: Here and Back Again" will now be released on Dec. 17, 2014 instead of its original July 18, 2014 launch window.
"We're excited to complete the trilogy the same way we started it, as a holiday treat for moviegoers everywhere," said Dan Fellman, president of distribution for Warner Bros..
Every single movie in the Lord of the Rings franchise has been released in December. The first film "The Lord of the Ring: Fellowship of the Ring" was released on Dec. 19, 2001 and its sequel "The Two Towers" was launched on Dec. 18, 2002. The final work in that trilogy saw a Dec. 17, 2003 release date. In 2012, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" played in theaters starting Dec. 14. The second installment "The Desolation of Smaug" will open on Dec. 12, 2013.
The four films in the franchise have done a tremendous job at the box office during the holiday season. "Fellowship" took $313 million in domestic gross during its initial run and over $870 million worldwide. "The Two Towers" made $339 million domestically and over $926 million around the world. "Return of the King" made over $1 billion worldwide while "An Unexpected Journey" made over $980 million in 2012.