The Economic Impact of 'Lord of the Rings' on International Distributors

In an unprecedented business arrangement, 25 international film distributors who took a calculated risk on Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy are now experiencing a financial windfall that provides rare stability in an unstable market.

The distributors collectively committed $160 million in advance funding for all three installments when New Line Cinema's international president Rolf Mittweg presented the project in late 1999. Unlike traditional studio blockbusters, this "pass the hat" financing model required distributors to support the entire trilogy from the outset.

With the first film grossing $850 million worldwide, these companies now enjoy a unique position in the industry - virtual certainty of major hits for the next two years. Federico di Chio, CEO of Italy's Medusa, notes this provides "security and prestige" while relieving pressure to acquire other expensive blockbusters.

Rather than engaging in spending sprees, most distributors are adopting conservative approaches with their newfound profits. San Fu Maltha of FuWorks/A Film in the Netherlands is building his company's film library with classics like Fellini's "8½" while focusing on local productions. He prefers acquiring several smaller quality films at $50,000-$60,000 each rather than spending $300,000 on larger, marketing-intensive projects.

During the Cannes Film Festival, these distributors demonstrated restraint in their acquisitions. France's Metropolitan, while among the more active buyers, concentrated on carefully selected smaller films with clear theatrical and ancillary value rather than risky potential blockbusters.

Despite the windfall, challenges remain. Many distributors used "Rings" profits to offset losses from other disappointing high-budget investments like "Ali." Some face tensions with New Line, which is attempting to renegotiate video royalty terms by increasing rates 5% - a move that has caused frustration among distributors who note New Line never offers to reduce fees when their other films underperform.

For companies like Spain's Aurum, a subsidiary of publisher Zeta, profits may bypass film investment entirely and flow to the parent company. Thailand's Mongkol Cinema, despite strong "Rings" revenue, has reduced acquisitions amid legal troubles and piracy allegations.

As Mittweg observed during a Cannes reception for the distributors, "They're obviously being careful with that money. It's a sigh-of-relief situation - there were a lot of sleepless nights."

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