BOX OFFICE REPORT (DEC. 20-22): Moviegoers Love 'Anchorman 2,' but Love 'The Hobbit' More

1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (1st)
Weekend gross: $31.5 million / Total domestic gross: $127.5 million / 
Percent drop: 57.3
Despite a challenge from Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug held onto the top spot at the box office. Everything isn't well in Middle-earth, though. The second Hobbit film, despite having the second-highest opening weekend of the five Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit movies, turned in the lowest second weekend of the series. The Desolation of Smaug's lifetime domestic gross of $127.5 million isn't anywhere close to the $222.3 million that The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had grossed through the same point. Based on the fact that The Desolation of Smaug had the worst second-weekend drop of any movie in the franchise, I really don't see how the movie catches back up down the road.

2. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (NR)

Weekend gross: $26.8 million / Total domestic gross: $40 million / 
Percent drop: NA
I'm not really sure whether or not to call Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' opening weekend a success. A $26.8 million first weekend is pretty good, but when your predecessor opened to $28.4 million, trumping the original's opening weekend should have been a goal. Of course, Anchorman 2 did open on Wednesday, which likely syphoned some of the movie's box office potential away from this past weekend.

3. Frozen (2nd)

Weekend gross: $19.2 million / Total domestic gross: $191.6 million / 
Percent drop: 15.1
Frozen is now the second highest grossing film under the Second Disney Renaissance, trailing Tangled's $200.8 million by less than $10 million. It looks like Frozen is a lock to pass Tangled. What comes next then? After Tangled, there are only three Disney Animation Studios films with higher domestic box office grosses: The Lion King with $422.8 million, Beauty and the Beast with $219 million and Aladdin with $217.4 million. Frozen has a shot at passing Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, which would be quite the accomplishment.

4. American Hustle (15th)

Weekend gross: $19.1 million / Total domestic gross: $20.2 million / 
Percent increase: 2,479.5
I hate when movies have an opening weekend that covers a tiny number of theaters, like American Hustle did with its opening. Opening in just six theaters really skews the numbers. I'd love to just talk about how $19.1 million this past weekend would be a great opening weekend for David O. Russell, trumping the opening numbers for The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, but instead I have to point out that while a 2,479.5 weekend-to-weekend percentage increase looks great, American Hustle didn't suddenly bring in $47 billion or something ridiculous.

5. Saving Mr. Banks (18th)

Weekend gross: $9.3 million / Total domestic gross: $9.9 million / 
Percent increase: 2,154.9

My thoughts on tiny theater counts for opening weekends applies to Saving Mr. Banks too. Nice to see a few Oscar contenders pulling in sizable box office numbers, though.

Next week's predictions

1. The Wolf of Wall Street

2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

3. American Hustle

4. Grudge Match

5. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

SOURCE: Box Office Mojo