#BOXOFFICE: “THE HOBBIT” DEBUTS TO RECORD-BREAKING NUMBERS

There is nothing dwarf-like at all about the success of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which debuts with $85 million this weekend across North America in 4,045 theatres for Warner Bros. The Peter Jackson Fantasy Flick also sets a Box Office record for highest December weekend and biggest December opening ever (Friday – $37.5 million) and also sets a record for highest opening ever in December.

Last week’s Champ Skyfall slips to second this weekend with $7.1 million, neck-in-neck with Rise of the Guardian  earning $7.0 million in third.

Disney‘s Lincoln continues to perform impeccably in fourth with $6.7 million, now it its sixth week of release.  The Historical Drama no doubt got a boost from Thursday’s Golden Globe nomination announcements, where it led the way a smashing seven nominations.

Not  much particularly earth-shattering on the bottom end of this weekend’s Top Ten as Wreck-It Ralph lands in seventh with $3.2 million for Disney, while Playing for Keeps earns $3 million in eighth. TIFF 2012 People’s Choice Winner  Silver Linings Playbook, which received three Golden Globe nominations earlier this week, rounds things out with $2.0 million.