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357 million site hits in three months. A trailer downloaded 1.7 million times in its first 24 hours of release. If these two data points aren't a strong enough indicator for the astounding box office potential of Lord of the Rings, there's also the fact that the books have sold 100 million copies worldwide (and that's just a best estimate, since the age of the books makes past sales difficult to determine).

Up until now, a live-action version of this story would likely have been a joke, and an animated version from 1978 is largely forgotten today. All indications do point to extreme care being put toward the details that the more rabid fans of the books find important (check out the behind-the-scenes clips on the official Web site if you don't believe me). Although I've been generally unimpressed with the trailers thus far, the general consensus of fans seems to be a feeling of pure adoration.

LOTR doesn't particularly boast any special star power, but that really doesn't matter. It's all about the effects and making the story come to life. Reports from a preview screening at Cannes tell us that people can't wait to see more, and I would expect to see people camping outside their theaters much as we did when Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace premiered...

Or I would if the opening date wasn't in late December, which brings up another interesting point. The highest December opener to date (even allowing for inflation) has been Cast Away, with a take of $39.85 million. LOTR opens the Wednesday before Christmas, and while I foresee fans of the books turning out in force during its first two days of release, it's the weekend business that is somewhat more difficult to predict until the marketing machine truly kicks into high gear and we see if the film is targeted more as a fanboy extravaganza or a holiday family event. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Main Cast Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee Supporting Cast Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Ian Holm, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler Director Peter Jackson Screenwriter Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson Distributor Warner Bros. Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.lordoftherings.net/ Rating PG-13 Running Time 178 minutes Screen Count 3,359 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	11/16/01	90.29	96.36	3672	24590.00	25242.8	317.56	338.93	3.52
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	11/15/02	88.36	91.86	3682	23997.00	23997.0	261.99	272.39	2.97
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones	5/17/02	80.03	83.20	3161	25317.00	25317.0	310.67	323.00	3.51
Lost World, The	5/23/97	72.13	94.75	3281	21984.00	27779.3	229.09	300.95	2.51
Mummy Returns, The	5/4/01	68.14	72.72	3401	20035.00	20566.9	202.01	215.60	2.96
Star Wars: Episode I -The Phantom Menace	5/21/99	64.81	77.23	2970	21822.00	24914.9	431.07	513.70	6.01
Pearl Harbor	5/25/01	59.08	63.05	3214	18382.00	18870.0	198.54	211.90	3.36
Star Wars: SE	1/31/97	35.91	47.17	2104	17067.00	21566.1	138.21	181.56	3.85
What Women Want	12/15/00	33.61	37.59	3012	11159.00	12007.8	182.81	204.50	5.44
Cast Away	12/22/00	28.88	32.30	2774	10411.00	11202.9	233.63	261.36	5.86