The third and final The Hobbit film has debuted at the top of the U.S. box office to become the year's (14) number one Christmas film in America.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies earned over $90 million (Gbp60 million) since its release on Wednesday (17Dec14), and $56.2 million (Gbp37.5 million) over the weekend.

The final chapter of Peter Jackson's film series has opened well ahead of another sequel, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, which took in $17.3 million (Gbp11.5 million) to come in second.

Movie Musical Annie, featuring Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, has opened in third place with $16.3 million (Gbp10.9 million), ahead of Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1.