‘Rings’ is king at the box office

“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” continues to outpace its trilogy predecessors, taking in $312 million worldwide in its first seven days, New Line Cinema reported Wednesday. Through Tuesday, the film had grossed $150 million in North America and $162 million elsewhere.

If business remains as brisk, “Return of the King” stands a good chance of becoming the only film other than “Titanic” to gross more than $1 billion in initial worldwide theatrical release. Released in December 1997, “Titanic” grossed $1.8 billion, according to box-office tracker Boxofficemojo.com; “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is currently No. 2 worldwide with $975.8 million.

From a Times staff writer