The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug took in an impressive $73.6 million, but is down about 13 percent from An Unexpected Journey's record.
***UPDATE:The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug is now being estimated by the studio as having earned $73.6 million making it handily win the weekend. However, it failed to break the record of the most successful December opening of all time, its predecessor The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which earned $84.6 million in 2012. Indeed, it also opened smaller than I Am Legend and Avatar did in December 2007 and 2009, respectively. However, it still is a massively successful weekend for the second instalment in Peter Jackson's new Middle-earth trilogy, which should play well into the holidays and beyond. Not to mention that Desolation of Smaug is outperforming An Unexpected Journey overseas, with its international opening placing it at $205 million after this weekend.
In second pace, Frozen continues to prove it has superb word of mouth, as it dropped a mere 29.8 percent in its third weekend of wide release, earning an impressive $22.1 million. At this point, it would appear that individual adults are turning out for the new Disney musical almost as much as families. New release Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas rounded out the Top 3 for an estimated gross of $16 million.***END OF UPDATE
Warner Brothers has released the estimated numbers for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug from its Thursday night and special midnight screenings in 2D, 3D, IMAX and IMAX 3D when it reportedly grossed $8.8 million.
These numbers are in some ways a win for the studio, as they mark the second highest grossing Thursday night on record for the month of December, as the studio is quick to point out. However, it is also behind last year’s Thursday/midnight record holder: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The first Hobbitfilm managed to snag a $13 million Thursday night early debut, showing a 32 percent dip in earnings for Desolation of Smaug.
Yet, these numbers are still markedly impressive holding the second place spot for December and may not be indicative of the fanbase’s viewing habits for the weekend. Desolation of Smaugis still projected to earn up to $80 million for this weekend. An Unexpected Journey grossed $84 million in the same weekend last year. Though it also was not competing against such a popular family film like Frozen(last year’s Thanksgiving animation went bust with Rise of the Guardians) not to mention The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is poised to become the most successful domestic release of the year.
On a related note, Deadline is reporting that The Desolation of Smaug opened in first place in 32 international territories on Thursday, grossing $15.23 million overseas, displaying an 11 percent jump from last year’s An Unexpected Journey. So don’t underestimate the wingspan of this dragon just yet.