‘Hobbit’ Goes Out On Top With $90.6 Million 5-Day Debut

While Hollywood continued to wrestle with the fallout of the Sony hacking scandal, the weekend box office offered the solace of a moviegoing truism: Hobbits sell.

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 offered 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.

Another final installment in a trilogy, “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” opened in a distant second place. The Fox comedy, which features Robin Williams’ final performance, took in $17.3 million, well off the pace of previous franchise entries. The franchise’s previous debut was $54.2 million for 2009’s “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.”

Sony Pictures, which on Wednesday shelved the Dec. 25 release of the North Korea satire “The Interview” following hacker threats of violence against theaters showing the film, unveiled its other holiday option. The studio’s “Annie” remake, starring Quvenzhane Wallis as the titular orphan, opened with $16.3 million.

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