With no new wide openings this weekend, Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” prequel “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” easily made the return journey to the No. 1 spot at the Friday box office, picking up another $10.7 million.
Prestige pics “Django Unchained” and “Les Miserables” battled it our for second place on Friday, with the Quentin Tarantino western carving up $9.6 million and the Anne Hathaway-Hugh Jackman musical scoring $9.4 million.
They’ll be neck-and-neck all weekend, with both expected to earn around $27 million for the weekend.
“The Hobbit,” the first of three films based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, will likely earn around $33 million for the three-day.
While it isn’t quite living up to “LOTR” numbers, it has nonetheless already passed the $200 million mark in North America.
Since opening on Christmas Day, “Django Unchained” has earned an impressive $42.9 million, while “Les MIserables'” total stands slightly higher, at $48.8 million.
Meanwhile, the Billy Crystal-Bette Midler comedy showcase “Parental Guidance” continues to surprise, walking away with another $5.0 million. Its domestic total now stands at $19.8 million.
The Tom Cruise actioner “Jack Reacher” rounded out the top five, fighting its way to $4.5 million on Friday, bringing its domestic total up to $35.4 million.
Look for complete weekend estimates Sunday on HitFix.