Final 'Hobbit' declares victory at the box office

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The third and final Hobbit film came out swinging and victorious.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies easily strode to the top of the weekend box office with $56.2 million, according to studio estimates from Rentrak. Since opening Wednesday, the movie has earned $90 million.

The Peter Jackson-directed film only had its franchise predecessors for true competition. 2013's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug had a $73.6 million three-day opening weekend last December.

The first in the franchise, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, opened with $84.6 million in December 2012.

Screening Room: 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'

USA Today Movie Critic Claudia Puig discusses "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" and tells you whether to "Catch It," "Rent It," or "Skip It" in this week's edition of The Screening Room.

"This weekend marks the triumphant beginning to the end to this incredible franchise, which has been so consistent for over a decade since Lord of the Rings," says Rentrak analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "It's rare to see this kind of audience excitement, which has not diminished one bit."

The film received mixed reaction from critics (60% approval on RottenTomatoes.com) and scored an A-minus with audiences on CinemaScore.

Another final chapter to a successful franchise opened as well. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb finished in second place with $17.3 million.

The Shawn Levy-directed film is the third in the series and the final studio-produced film for Robin Williams, who died in August.

Screening Room: 'Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb'

USA Today Movie Critic Claudia Puig discusses "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" and tells you whether to "Catch It," "Rent It," or "Skip It" in this week's edition of The Screening Room.

Musical Annie, starring Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, opened in third place with $16.3 million.

Jeff Bock, analyst for Exhibitor Relations, says both Night at the Museum and Annie will continue to perform over the holidays.

"It's a little disappointing for both films. But they are competing for the same family market," says Bock. "And these are films that will pick up through the Christmas holidays, especially with kids out of school."

Annie had to overcome stinging reviews, scoring 29% critical approval on RottenTomatoes.com, faring better with audiences at 60% approval.

Screening Room: 'Annie'

USA Today Movie Critic Claudia Puig discusses "Annie" and tells you whether to "Catch It," "Rent It," or "Skip It" in this week's edition of The Screening Room.

Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings took fourth with $8.1 million. The biblical tale starring Christian Bale as Moses has pulled in $38.9 million since winning the box office last weekend.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay— Part 1 remained in the top five, with $7.8 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $289.2 million. It remains the second-highest-grossing film of the year behind Guardians of the Galaxy ($332.5 million).

Reese Witherspoon's Wild continued to impress as it expanded to 1,061 theaters. The film took in $4.2 million, enough for sixth place (and $7.2 million total).

Final numbers are expected Monday.