Weekend Box Office: HOBBIT INVASION

Hobbit Movie

Hobbits, known for many things including hearty appetites, arrived just in time to take advantage of all the holiday goodies…and to sweep the box office!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey makes a whopping $84.8 million during its first weekend in theaters—topping I Am Legend‘s $77 mill record for the biggest December opening. If you listen closely you can almost hear the Hobbits celebrating from the Shire.

But, the party may come to a screeching stop when the Hobbits realize that although they made some serious dough, it’s still off from the flick’s $100 mill estimate…and when you put aside the higher 3D and IMAX prices, actually sold fewer tickets than the last two Lord of the Rings movies (The Two Towers and The Return of the King).

That said, Hobbit still made nearly $60 mill MORE than the other top 5 films COMBINED. Speaking of those box office bottom feeders…Rise of the Guardians holds strong at #2 week-to-week, Lincoln pops up from #4 from #3, Skyfall drops from #1 to #4 and Life of Pi maintains the #5 spot; meanwhile, Breaking Dawn 2 falls off the top 5 list for the first time (but not very far, just to #6).

Below are the Top 5 box office performers this weekend:

1- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey* debuts to the tune of $84.8 million.

2- Rise of the Guardians catches another $7.4 million ($71 million total during it 4-weeks in theaters).

3- Lincoln earns another honest $7.2 million ($108 million total thru its 6-week run).

4- Skyfall banks another $7 million ($272 million total for 6-weeks).

5- Life of Pi discovers another $5.4 million ($69 million total for 4-weeks).

Nikki