Reply #17: Low risk?

[Westegg]

That wasn't the scuttlebutt in Hollywood at the time. It was seen as a big risk, particulary since Jackson shot all three films at once, so there was, essentially, no turning back or cutting losses.

You're right that the prospects for a hit were there, but that simply wasn't the conventional wisdom at the time. Sure, we all know what conventional wisdom is worth but alas, in Hollywood, it pretty much rules the place. That's why so few films take chances.