Despite some stiff competition from newbies Les Miserables and Django Unchained, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey held them them off to top the box office for a third weekend, taking another $32 million. That takes its US total past the $200 million mark, while worldwide it moves past $600 million.
Although the new entries couldn’t beat The Hobbit, Les Miserables, Django Unchained and Parental Guidance have all outpaced most people’s expectations since their Christmas Day release. Django took second place over the weekend with $30 million and $64 million since its release. With many expecting the film to have a strong awards run, it should continue to do well over the coming weeks.
Les Miserables was in third spot with $28 million and $67 million since its release. It’s one of the strongest starts ever for a musical and while the film began to tire after its incredibly strong first couple of days, it still suggests the movie will have legs over the coming weeks, especially if it scores a few Oscar nominations.
The Bette Midler and Billy Crystal comedy Parental Guidance also had a stronger than expected showing with $14.8 million over the weekend and $29.5 million since Christmas. Although not an amazing take, it’s good for a family comedy with older leads and has had decent reaction from audiences.
Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of December 28th-30th.
| Rank | Title | Weekend Gross (millions) | Total Gross to date (millions) |
| 1 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | $32.9 | $222.7 |
| 2 | Django Unchained | $30.6 | $64.0 |
| 3 | Les Miserables | $28.0 | $67.4 |
| 4 | Parental Guidance | $14.8 | $29.5 |
| 5 | Jack Reacher | $14.0 | $44.6 |
| 6 | This Is 40 | $13.1 | $37.1 |
| 7 | Lincoln | $7.5 | $132.0 |
| 8 | The Guilt Trip | $6.7 | $21.1 |
| 9 | Monsters, Inc (3D) | $6.3 | $18.4 |
| 10 | Rise Of The Guardians | $4.9 | $90.2 |