‘Hobbit’ finale sends ‘Exodus’ fleeing

NEW YORK — The finale of Peter Jackson’s “Hobbit” trilogy, “The Battle of the Five Armies,” marauded through the multiplexes during the weekend before Christmas, taking in $54.7 million. Since opening Wednesday, the Warner Bros. release has made $89.1 million, according to final box office figures Monday.

The film easily bested the week’s other new releases. The Fox comedy “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” opened with $17.1 million, while Sony’s “Annie” remake debuted with $15.9 million.

Last week’s top film, the biblical epic “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” tumbled to fourth place with $8.1 million in its second week.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Rentrak:

1. “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Warner Bros., $54,724,334, 3,875 locations, $14,122 average, $89,131,544, 1 week.

2. “Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb,” 20th Century Fox, $17,100,520, 3,785 locations, $4,518 average, $17,100,520, 1 week.

3. “Annie,” Sony, $15,861,939, 3,116 locations, $5,090 average, $15,861,939, 1 week.

4. “Exodus: Gods And Kings,” 20th Century Fox, $8,105,681, 3,503 locations, $2,314 average, $38,942,192, 2 weeks.

5. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1,” Lionsgate, $7,879,421, 3,174 locations, $2,482 average, $289,356,110, 5 weeks.

6. “Wild,” Fox Searchlight, $4,113,752, 1,061 locations, $3,877 average, $7,174,489, 3 weeks.

7. “Big Hero 6,” Disney, $3,642,326, 2,407 locations, $1,513 average, $190,520,749, 7 weeks.

8. “Top Five,” Paramount, $3,590,013, 1,307 locations, $2,747 average, $12,477,306, 2 weeks.

9. “P.K.,” UTV Communications, $3,565,258, 272 locations, $13,108 average, $3,565,258, 1 week.

10. “Penguins Of Madagascar,” 20th Century Fox, $3,476,141, 2,717 locations, $1,279 average, $64,123,602, 4 weeks.

11. “Interstellar,” Paramount, $2,702,289, 1,550 locations, $1,743 average, $171,535,531, 7 weeks.

12. “Horrible Bosses 2,” Warner Bros., $2,203,429, 1,902 locations, $1,158 average, $47,778,121, 4 weeks.

13. “The Theory Of Everything,” Focus Features, $1,611,333, 1,011 locations, $1,594 average, $19,843,906, 7 weeks.

14. “Foxcatcher,” Sony Pictures Classics, $939,436, 308 locations, $3,050 average, $4,423,492, 6 weeks.

15. “Birdman,” Fox Searchlight, $865,337, 452 locations, $1,914 average, $22,204,384, 10 weeks.

16. “The Imitation Game,” The Weinstein Company, $858,615, 34 locations, $25,253 average, $3,155,576, 4 weeks.

17. “Dumb And Dumber To,” Universal, $768,605, 986 locations, $780 average, $83,677,765, 6 weeks.

18. “Gone Girl,” 20th Century Fox, $376,364, 352 locations, $1,069 average, $165,203,822, 12 weeks.

19. “St. Vincent,” The Weinstein Company, $225,458, 404 locations, $558 average, $42,389,144, 11 week.

20. “Whiplash,” Sony Pictures Classics, $214,014, 111 locations, $1,928 average, $5,104,755, 11 week.