BOX OFFICE: THE HOBBIT Finale Expected To Dwarf Competition With $75M Opening

Today, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies opens in 3,850 locations. Analysts for the two studios that financed the film, MGM and New Line, are predicting it will gross $75 million at the domestic box office through Sunday. Independent tracking has that figure as high as $80 million. 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey took in $84.6 million in its opening weekend and 2013's The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug took in $73.6 million. Both of those films opened on Fridays, which means they did all of their damage in three days while The Battle Of Five Armies will have an extra two days, yet it will barely beat out Smaug's three-day total. A bit of downer when you look at it like that, but The Hobbit films aren't dependent on the North American box office to be a success. The previous two films made 70% of their worldwide grosses from international markets and The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies should be no different. It's already off to fast start overseas. It opened in 37 markets this past weekend and has pulled in $122.2 million so far.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.