Well, I'm sorry to hear it. I don't mean that in a condescending way...it just feels like such a shame that you either won't see it, or, if you do, won't be able to feel the sense of awe and amazement I've felt while seeing it. I wish everyone could feel it.
Back on-topic: LOTR is whooping it up. It's made over $10 million on the (if I'm not mistaken) 24th, 25th, 26th, 27, AND 28th. It'll likely do so on the 29th, 30th, and 31st, IMO. Maybe on the 1st, too, seeing as how it's New Year's Day and all. I'll tell ya, even for holidays (the 26th-30th are semi-holidays really), these numbers are pretty dang good.
After this weekend, it'll likely have hit $150 million after 12 days of release, with few signs of slowing down. Most are predicting a drop from $45 million on its opening weekend, to only $35 million this weekend. In addition, lets not forget that it didn't even open on a Friday (meaning the opening weekend gross would have been bigger if it had), and that a drop of only $10 million is a huge deal when it's making a lot during the weekdays, too. I think it shows us that even though people are going in droves now, a significant number of them are coming BACK to see it again. It's likely drawing people who wouldn't usually see such a movie out of the woodwork, too, to give a shot.
If It pulls in $35 million this weekend (which it almost certainly will), you can bet on it: $230-250 million is pretty dang likely, with $200 million completely in the can. I must chuckle at some "analysts" who wrote about how its genre (Fantasy), group with its apparently niche market, plenty of competition, and a 3-hour running time, would make it virtually impossible for it to gross $200 million domestically. Harumph.