The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Adventure, Fantasy, Action
The Kernel take
A 94 Metascore on a $94M budget that's returned nearly $1.12B worldwide represents the kind of rare alignment between critical and commercial triumph that defines epochal cinema. Universal acclaim married to that ROI suggests The Return of the King transcended typical blockbuster expectations.
Director track record: Peter Jackson
The Return of the King (94) sits well above Peter Jackson's own 69.6-point average across 11 other scored films — his new best-reviewed work, exceeding even The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (92).
Lead track record: Elijah Wood
The Return of the King (94) sits well above Elijah Wood's own 61.7-point average across 19 other scored films — his new best-reviewed work, exceeding even The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (92).
Box office
Budget $94M · Box office $1,118.9M