Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” led the box office with a haul of $84.8 million, a record-setting opening better than the three prior “Rings” films.
The Warner Bros. epic had the biggest December opening ever, according to studio estimates yesterday — surpassing Will Smith’s “I Am Legend,” which opened with $77.2 million in 2007, and 2009’s “Avatar,” at $77 million. Internationally, “The Hobbit” added $138.2 million , for a total debut of $223 million.Despite weak reviews, the 3D adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s first novel in the fantasy series was an even bigger draw than the last “Lord of the Rings” movie, “The Return of the King.” That film opened with $72.6 million. “The Hobbit” is the first of another planned trilogy, with two more films to be squeezed out of Tolkien’s book.