The latest Lord Of The Rings blockbuster has amassed the biggest box office bookings of the year, cinema chain Odeon said today.
The second movie in the series, The Two Towers, opens today at cinemas around the UK and is expected to be one of the biggest hits of all time.
Odeon - which accounted for one in four ticket sales in the UK - said bookings have topped £1.5 million at its cinemas, beating the second Harry Potter and Bond's Die Another Day.
It is also ahead of the pre-sales for 2001's first Rings movie, The Fellowship Of The Ring, which managed £1.2 million.
That film went on to become the fifth biggest grossing film ever made, on a list topped by Titanic.
The Two Towers has won rave reviews as it continues the story of Frodo's quest to take a magical ring into the heart of the dark land of Mordor in an effort to defeat evil forces.
The film was given a star-studded premiere in London's Leicester Square last week, attended by figures from the movie such as Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler.
Luke Vetere of the Odeon chain said: "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year and now looks set to even exceed the huge success of the previous film. The anticipation has been steadily building among cinemagoers and Tolkien fans, especially since the excitement of the premiere."
The last film in the trilogy, The Return of the King is scheduled for release in December next year.
