The Hobbit Trilogy Cost at $561 Million

Variety is reporting that the current cost to make The Hobbit Trilogy stands at $561 million dollars. That cost is nearly double The Lord of the Rings trilogy which was around $300 million to make. That cost only includes the initial 266 days when the plan was two films and not the recently complete two additional months of pick-ups. It sounds massive but the estimated budget for the two films was around $550 million with Warner Bros agreeing to absorb the additional cost for a third film. Basically while the number is high with a final cost being in the $200 million per film range, it really isn't that massive considering the average tent pole film nowadays costs in the $150 to $200 million range. Considering The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey made over $1 billion in worldwide box office (not including merchandising, home video sales, etc.), it seems like the $200 million per film was a very wise investment.