Hobbits ring up a record

The first Lord of the Rings film took a record $720,933 on its opening day in New Zealand.

Peter Jackson's eagerly awaited The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had its premiere in Wellington on Wednesday night.

Midnight screenings around the country followed the premiere.

The homegrown film, directed by a New Zealander and shot here, easily surpassed the previous first-day record take of $516,333 for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The Fellowship of the Ring is showing on 92 screens at 60 theatres.

"This outstanding result is a true indication New Zealanders have embraced this remarkable film," says Lisa Hubbard, general manager of the Roadshow Film Distributors.

In the United States and Canada, The Fellowship of the Ring grossed $US18.2 million on opening day on 5700 screens at 3359 theatres.

It did not break any records in North America but had the highest single-day take for December.

The second instalment of the trilogy, The Two Towers, is due for release next Christmas.

The Return of the King is expected to hit cinemas in December 2003.

Feature: Lord of the Rings

Special report: A long expected party

Best Lord of the Rings websites