`The Hobbit` breaks December box office record with $84.8m opening

New York: ‘The Hobbit’ led the box office with a haul of 84.8 million dollars - a record-setting opening better than the three previous ‘Lord of the Rings’ films, it has been revealed.

According to studio estimates, Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth epic was the biggest December opening ever, surpassing Will Smith’s ‘I Am Legend’, which opened with 77.2 million dollars in 2007. ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ also surpassed the December opening of ‘Avatar’, which had opened with 77 million dollars, the New York Post reported. Despite weak reviews, the 3-D adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s first novel in the fantasy series was an even bigger draw than the last ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie, ‘The Return of the King’. ‘The Hobbit’ was far and away the biggest draw in theatres, with no other new wide release. Paramount’s ‘Rise of the Guardians’ continued to draw the family crowd with 7.4 million dollars, bringing its cumulative total to 71.4 million dollars. Walt Disney’s Oscar contender ‘Lincoln’ crossed the 100-million-dollar mark, adding another 7.2 million dollars to bring its six-week total to 107.9 million dollars. Sony’s James Bond film ‘Skyfall’, with another 7 million dollars domestically, drew closer to a global take of 1 billion dollars. The top 10 movies at the weekend box office were: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – 84.8 million dollars Rise of the Guardians – 7.4 million dollars Lincoln – 7.2 million dollars Skyfall – 7 million dollars Life of Pi – 5.4 million dollars The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 – 5.2 million dollars Wreck-It Ralph – 3.3million dollars Playing for Keeps – 3.2 million dollars Red Dawn – 2.4 million dollars Silver Linings Playbook – 2 million dollars ANI