The Hobbit Finale Charges To The Top Of The U.s. Box Office

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.