Movies
The film raked in a total of $57.6m (£32.6m) in worldwide ticket sales on the first day alone, setting first day opening records in most countries.
In the US it took $34.1m (£19.2m), making it the highest grossing movie ever on a Wednesday, surpassing the $28.5m achieved by Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The film ranked as the third highest opener overall, behind Spiderman ($39.4m, £22.2m) and Matrix Reloaded ($37.5m, £21.1m).
At home the movie drew in £2.9m; around £1m came from advanced ticket sales in the weeks before its release.
Executives at production company New Line are optimistic that Return of the King will eventually top the iconic $1 billion (£750m) global box office barrier.
More: Movies, Return of the King
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