Peter Jackson's final installment of his six J.R.R. Tolkien adventures, "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," debuted with $56.2 million over the weekend and $90.6 million since opening Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday.
For an industry reeling from the cancellation of "The Interview" and terrorist threats against moviegoers, Middle-earth provided reliable refuge.
Aided by popularity on Imax screens, "The Battle of the Five Armies" dominated the pre-Christmas frame with a five-day haul similar to the franchise's previous entry, "The Desolation of Smaug," even if its actual debut weekend was notably less than both prior "Hobbit" movies. In its second week of release overseas, Warner Bros.' "Five Armies" added $105.5 million to bring its two-week global total past $350 million.
Jeff Goldstein, head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros., said the healthy weekend of moviegoing was a welcome respite after an "upsetting and so disturbing" week.
"Not only did we do business in places that I would expect, like the West Coast, we did business everywhere in the country," Goldstein said. "We didn't see that on the prior two 'Hobbit's."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak.
1. "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies," $56.2 million ($105.5 million international).
2. "Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb," $17.3 million ($10.8 million international).
3. "Annie," $16.3 million ($1 million international).
4. "Exodus: Gods and Kings," $8.1 million ($7.6 million international).
5. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1," $7.8 million. ($9.3 million international).
6. "Wild," $4.2 million.
7. "Top Five," $3.6 million.
8. "Big Hero 6," $3.6 million ($11.5 million international).
9. "Penguins of Madagascar," $3.5 million ($16.5 million international).
10. "P.K.," $3.5 million ($22.1 million international).
