Which Peter Jackson film was the first motion picture released in cinemas using 48 frames per second?

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was the first motion picture released in cinemas using 48 frames per second.

Peter Jackson filmed the movie with a high-frame-rate presentation known as HFR 3D. Traditional cinema film and digital releases had commonly used 24 frames per second, so the 48-frame format was promoted as a major technical change intended to produce smoother motion and clearer 3D images.

The film premiered in Wellington, New Zealand, in November 2012 and received a wide theatrical release the following month. The HFR version was shown in selected cinemas equipped for the format, while standard-frame-rate versions were also distributed.

The technology attracted debate because some viewers found the sharper, smoother image immersive, while others felt it looked unusually similar to television or video. The frame-rate innovation should not be confused with the film’s separate 3D presentation.