'Desolation of Smaug' opens to $31 million, 'Madea Christmas' nets $5.7 million

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has started off the box office weekend with a middling $31 million, with Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas far behind in second with $5.7 million.

Estimates have The Hobbit sequel bringing in $75 million over the weekend, which would be $10 million lower than the first movie's opening and below analysts' expectations, reports TheWrap. However, the sequel did open in a little over a hundred less theaters.

Madea Christmas is looking at possible weekend earnings of about $16 million, which while weaker than previous Perry films, would be good enough for third place. Disney's Frozen, which was right behind at $5.1 million to start the weekend is being seen as good enough to rake in about $25 million and second place.

Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire appears to be losing steam at the box office, with adjusted estimates saying the film will gross about $14 million for the weekend, losing to Madea, according to Variety.

The only other film opening on the weekend is American Hustle, which is out on six screens for the weekend. The movie did manage a robust $35,000 per theater average in only one day.

image: Warner Bros

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