During a busy pre-Christmas weekend, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug topped Will Ferrell’s Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues to remain the number 1 film at the box office.
In it’s second week Smaug took in $31.5 million. While the numbers are not on track with An Unexpected Journey, the film is performing exceptionally well overseas. The Hobbit earned over $96 million abroad over the weekend and has now surpassed $400 million worldwide. Surprisingly, less than 32% of the film’s revenue is from North American theaters. Germany, the United Kingdom and France lead the film in international revenue for the weekend.
The legend of Ron Burgundy continued this weekend with the release of Will Ferrell’s Anchorman 2. The over-marketed film earned $26.8 million over the three-day weekend and $40 million since it’s release on Tuesday night. Although the film outperformed The Hobbit on Friday, it could not keep up the face on Saturday and Sunday. Overseas Anchorman 2 earned $13.4 million in six markets. Comparatively, 2004’s Anchorman debuted with $28.4 million in North America and only $5.3 million internationally.
Disney’s Frozen took third place in the box office rankings this weekend with a strong $19.2 million in its fourth week, outperforming newcomers Saving Mr. Banks and Walking With Dinosaurs. Frozen has now grossed $191.6 million in North American and is on track to reach the $300 million mark. The film has already surpassed last year’s Disney release, Wreck-It-Ralph ($189.4 million), and is about to overcome 2010’s Tangled ($200.8 million).
David O. Russell’s American Hustle expanded to a wide-release this weekend, earning $19.1 million in the process. The film features an ensemble cast of Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence and is based on the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Hindi action thriller Dhoom 3 debuted with a record-breaking $3.3 million from 236 theaters, making it the biggest opening of all time for a Bollywood title.
Here’s a look at this week’s Top 10 films at the box office:
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – $31.5 million
- Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues – $26.8
- Disney’s Frozen – $19.2 million
- American Hustle – $19.1 million
- Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks – $9.3 million
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – $8.8 million
- Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas – $8.5 million
- Walking with Dinosaurs – $7.3 million
- Dhoom 3 – $3.3 million
- Thor: The Dark World – $1.3 million
