BOX OFFICE: Newcomers Shall Not Pass Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT Finale

According to Deadline, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies pulled in $15.2 million on Friday, pushing its weekend estimate to $40.4 million. By the end of Sunday its domestic total could be $167.5 million. That's 19% better than The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug's first 12 days at the domestic box office, but a smidge less than "the $168.1M generated by 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey over the same frame."

As for the newcomers: Angelina Jolie's Unbroken will finish in second place with $33.3 million for the 3-day weekend, Disney's Into The Woods will pull in $32.6 million for a strong third place finish and Mark Wahlberg's The Gambler will have to settle with $8.4 million, finishing in seventh place.

Also of note, Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 became only the second film in 2014 to push past the $300 million domestic barrier. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy ($332.7M) is the only other film to do so.

1). The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (WB)
3,875 theaters /$15.2M Fri. (-8%)
3-day cume:$40.4 (-26%)/ Total cume: $167.5M/Wk 2

2). Unbroken (UNI), 3,131 theaters /$13M Fri.
3-day cume:$33.3M/ Total cume: $48.9M* /Wk 1
*includes Christmas Eve previews of $850K

3). Into the Woods (DIS)
2,440 theaters /$12.4M Fri.
3-day cume: $32.6M/Total cume:$47.7M* /Wk 1
includes Christmas Eve previews of $1.1M

4). Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (FOX)
3,914 theaters (+129) /$7.5M Fri. (+33%)
3-day cume: $21.6M (+26%)/Total cume: $56.3M /Wk 2

5). Annie (Sony)
3,197 theaters (+81) /$6.26M Fri. (+18%)
3-day cume: $17.3M (+9%)/Total cume: $45.9M /Wk 2

6). The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (LGF)
2,793 theaters (-381) /$3.67M Fri. (+61%)
3-day cume:$10.4M (+32%)/Total cume: $306.7M/Wk 6

7). The Gambler (Par)
2,478 theaters /$3.27M Fri.
3-day cume: $8.4M/Total cume: $13.4M /Wk 1

8.) The Imitation Game (TWC)
747 theaters (+713) / $2.8M Fri. (+1,167%)
3-day cume:$7.9M (+821%) Total cume: $14.6M/ Wk 5

9). Exodus: Gods and Kings (FOX), 3,002 theaters (-501)/$2.23M Fri. (-2%)
3-day cume: $6.3M (-22%)/Total cume: $52.1M/Wk 3

10). Wild (FSL)
1,285 theaters (+224) / $1.76M Fri. (+48%)
3-day cume:$5.15M (+25%)/ Total cume: $16.1M /Wk 4