"The Hobbit" keeps box office crown for third week

* 'Les Miz' opens strong but can't keep up with 'Hobbit'

* 'Skyfall' tops $1 billion

By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud

Dec 30 (Reuters) - The dwarfs and elves of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" prevailed at the North American box office again over the weekend, as its $32.9 million in ticket sales topped both the star-packed musical "Les Miserables" and the western "Django Unchained."

Despite surging past "The Hobbit" on Christmas day with an $18.1 million opening, "Les Miz" managed only third place in U.S. and Canadian sales with $28 million as Christmas shoppers returned from the malls to boost Hollywood's box office, according to studio estimates.

"The Hobbit," in its third week of release, has now grossed $222.7 million domestically, Warner Bros said.

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," a western starring Jamie Fox as a slave turned bounty hunter, took second with an impressive $30.7 million.

Tom Cruise's crime drama "Jack Reacher," which features author Lee Child's former military investigator solving a fatal sniper attack, landed in fifth with $14 million, outpaced by "Parental Guidance," the Billy Crystal-Bette Midler as grandparents comedy which took in $14.8 million to nab fourth.

Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution for Fox, said the "Parental Guidance" performance was "just a tremendous result for our little engine that could."

Backed by a musical score that made it a Broadway icon, "Les Miz" surged past "The Hobbit" on Christmas day, collecting $18.1 million to pass "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" with the biggest midweek opening day by a musical.

But it was not enough to conquer the "Hobbit" juggernaut, which scored its third straight box office weekend win.

Universal's president for domestic distribution Nikki Rocco called the "Les Miz" $28 million take "phenomenal, especially considering we went into the weekend with $40 million," an unexpectedly strong figure for its first few days in release.

"People really love this movie, which is even more rewarding and gratifying," Rocco said.

"Les Miserables," which stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, benefited from Oscar buzz and its star power, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division, who said he wouldn't be surprised to see the musical pass $200 million before it's done.

That would put it among the Hollywood's Top 20 best-selling musicals. It would pass the 1972 film "Cabaret," which grossed $191 million in box office sales adjusted for higher ticket prices, and put it close to "Camelot," which sold $204.5 million in 1967, according to the web site the-numbers.com.

The most successful musical is "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which grossed more than $6.3 billion but has been re-released by Walt Disney nine times since its 1937 premiere, according to the site.

A rush of high-profile films in December is expected to push 2012 to a domestic box office record. The current record is $10.6 billion, set in 2009.

"Jack Reacher" debuted just days after the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting sparked new debate about the impact of movie violence. "Reacher" begins with a sniper killing a handful of seemingly random victims. A red-carpet premiere and a screening to promote the $60-million production were postponed after the D ec. 14 Newto wn tragedy.

Adult comedy "This is 40" starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a middle-aged couple was sixth with $13.2 million. The Judd Apatow $35 million film totaled $37 million after two weeks. The seventh spot went to Steven Spielberg's historical film "Lincoln," with $7.5 million for a $132 million domestic total.

Comedy "The Guilt Trip," starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen as a mother and son on a cross-country drive, pulled in $6.7 million for eighth.

Also this week the latest James Bond hit "Skyfall" topped $1 billion in worldwide sales, despite falling out of the week's top 10 films at the box office.

"The Hobbit" was distributed by Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros studio. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc released, "Jack Reacher" and "The Guilt Trip." Comcast Corp's Universal Studios released "Les Miserables" and "This is 40." "Django Unchained" was released in the United States by the Weinstein Company.

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"The Hobbit" trumps star-packed "Les Miserables"

n">Dec 30 (Reuters) - The dwarfs and elves of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" prevailed at the North American box office again over the weekend, as its $32.9 million in ticket sales topped both the star-packed musical "Les Miserables" and the western "Django Unchained."

Despite surging past "The Hobbit" on Christmas day with an $18.1 million opening, "Les Miz" managed only third place in U.S. and Canadian sales with $28 million as Christmas shoppers returned from the malls to boost Hollywood's box office, according to studio estimates.

"The Hobbit," in its third week of release, has now grossed $222.7 million domestically, Warner Bros said.

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," a western starring Jamie Fox as a slave turned bounty hunter, took second with an impressive $30.7 million.

Tom Cruise's crime drama "Jack Reacher," a film that features author Lee Child's former military investigator solving a fatal sniper attack, landed in fifth with $14 million, outpaced by "Parental Guidance," the Billy Crystal-Bette Midler as grandparents comedy, which took in $14.8 million to nab the fourth spot.

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The top films in the North American box office

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'Hobbit' fever beats Tom Cruise at box office

n">Dec 23 (Reuters) - The big-budget "Hobbit" fantasy movie ruled movie box office charts for a second straight weekend, fending off Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise in new crime drama "Jack Reacher."

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" hauled in nearly $37 million from theaters in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates of Friday-through-Sunday ticket sales. The film is the first of three movies based on the classic J.R.R. Tolkien novel about a world of dwarfs, elves and dragons in the fictitious Middle Earth.

In second place, Cruise's "Jack Reacher" about the investigation into a sniper shooting brought in just short of $17 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters. Distributor Paramout Pictures postponed a premiere of the film after the fatal school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, sparked new scrutiny of violent movies.

Adult comedy "This is 40," starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a middle-aged couple, brought in $12 million, finishing in third place.

"The Hobbit" was distributed by Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. studio. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc , released "Jack Reacher." Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures distributed "This is 40."

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The top films at the North American box office

Dec 23 - Following are the top 10 movies at North American box offices for the weekend starting Dec. 21, led by "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," a c cording to studio estimates compiled by Reuters.

1 (1) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey...........$36.7 million 2 (*) Jack Reacher................................$15.6 million 3 (*) This is 40..................................$12.0 million 4 (2) Rise of the Guardians.......................$ 5.9 million 5 (3) Lincoln.....................................$ 5.6 million 6 (*) The Guilt Trip..............................$ 5.4 million 7 (*) Monsters, Inc. (3D).........................$ 5.1 million 8 (4) Skyfall.....................................$ 4.7 million 9 (5) Life of Pi..................................$ 3.8 million 10 (6) Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2............$ 2.6 million

NOTES: (*) = new release

CUMULATIVE TOTALS:

Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 ...............$281.6 million Skyfall ........................................$280.0 million The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey...............$149.9 million Lincoln.........................................$116.8 million Rise of the Guardians...........................$ 79.7 million Life of Pi......................................$ 76.2 million Jack Reacher....................................$ 84.77 million Rise of the Guardians...........................$ 71.3 million Life of Pi......................................$ 69.5 million This is 40......................................$ 40.8 million

"The Hobbit" was released by Warner Bros, a unit of Time Warner Inc.

"Breaking Dawn - Part 2" was released by Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment.

Sony Corp's movie studio released "Skyfall."

"Lincoln" was produced by Dreamworks and released by Walt Disney Co.

Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc, released "Jack Reacher," "The Guilt Trip" and the Dreamworks Animation production "Rise of the Guardians."

"This is 40" was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.

"Life of Pi" was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.

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UPDATE 3-News Corp says publishing wing lost money

* Publishing wing would have reported 2012 loss of $2.08 bln

* Newspapers, sports programs to be under publishing wing

* Closing News of The World, Australian paper woes part of loss

* Publishing wing's Q3 loss would have been $92 mln

* Stock down 1.5 pct

By Sayantani Ghosh and Liana B. Baker

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp said the publishing arm it plans to spin off from its entertainment assets would have lost $2.08 billion in the last fiscal year if it were a standalone company.

News Corp filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday to separate its publishing and entertainment assets into two publicly traded companies. News Corp first announced the decision in June after shareholders pressed it to get rid of its troubled newspaper business.

"New News Corp," as the company dubs its publishing wing, will include newspapers, information marketing services, digital real estate, book publishing, digital education, and sports programming and pay-TV distribution in Australia, the company said on Friday.

News Corp's film and television businesses currently include the 20th Century Fox film studio, Fox broadcasting network and Fox News channel, which will be part of the renamed parent company that will be called Fox Group.

News Corp's stock fell 1.5 percent to $25.04 in morning trading on Friday.

The loss included an impairment charge of around $2.6 billion, News Corp said in a filing, but it added that revenue fell 5 percent, hit by the 2011 closure of the News of the World paper after the UK phone hacking scandal, and lower revenues at its Australian papers. ()

The $2.08 billion annual loss compares with a profit of $678 million a year earlier.

The unit would have reported a net loss of $92 million in the three months that ended Sept. 30, hurt by lower advertising revenue and higher operating costs, it said.

NO DETAILS YET ON DEBT AND CASH

The filing shows the publishing unit's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization or EBITDA, a figure used by Wall Street to reflect the company's operating performance, slipped to $782 million in 2012 from $1.21 billion in 2011.

BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield called the new financial details unsurprising and said that the key information for investors - the two companies' plans for debt and cash - were absent from the filing.

"The amount of debt and cash to be assigned to each company is not finished yet, and that's what investors are focused on," Greenfield said.

He expects that information to be revealed in the first quarter, and said he hopes that "as little cash as possible is infused into the publishing" wing.

The publishing division now includes the HarperCollins book publisher, its education arm headed by former New York schools Chancellor Joel Klein, and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, The Sun, The New York Post and The Australian.

Robert Thomson, a close confidant of Murdoch and currently managing editor of The Wall Street Journal and editor-in-chief of its publisher, Dow Jones & Co, will lead the new publishing company.

Thomson will receive a base salary of $2 million annually and a performance-based annual bonus with a target of $2 million. After three years, he will receive annual grants of a performance-based long-term incentive award.

Murdoch will retain his role as Chairman and CEO of the parent and his compensation for the roles is expected to increase modestly. He received a base salary of $8.1 million and a bonus of $10.4 million, apart from stock awards and other compensation, which put his total compensation at about $30 million for fiscal 2012.

The phone hacking scandal erupted at the News Of The World last year, forcing the company to close the paper in July and drop its proposed purchase of the rest of BSkyB, its British pay-TV network.

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TIMELINE-Britain's phone-hacking scandal

n">Nov 29 (Reuters) - These are the major events in the phone-hacking scandal over the last 18 months as the inquiry by Lord Justice Brian Leveson on British media ethics is published on Thursday:

July 4, 2011 - A lawyer for the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler says police have told him her voicemail messages were hacked in 2002, possibly by a News of the World investigator. The disclosure comes days after the government backs plans by News Corp to buy out British pay-TV group BSkyB. Three days later News Corp announces it will close the News of the World. The July 10 edition is the last.

July 8 - Andy Coulson, a former News of the World editor, who also served as Prime Minister David Cameron's chief media adviser, is arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications.

July 13 - News Corp withdraws its bid for BSkyB. Tom Crone, legal manager at News International, resigns. Two days later Rebekah Brooks, a former News of the World editor, resigns as chief executive of News International.

July 19 - Rupert Murdoch, questioned by parliament's Culture, Media and Sports committee, says he was "shocked, appalled and ashamed" when he heard about the Dowler case. His son James Murdoch and Brooks are also questioned.

Nov. 14 - A public inquiry, chaired by Lord Leveson, begins its investigations into media ethics.

March 13, 2012 - James Murdoch, in a letter, apologises to those affected by the hacking scandal but says he was let down by senior staff on whom he had relied. He severs all ties with News Corp's British newspaper business on March 24 and resigns as chairman of BSkyB on April 3.

May 10 - Coulson appears at the Leveson inquiry and says Cameron's Conservative Party had asked few questions about his past and not carried out full security checks. Brooks appears on May 11 and provides colourful details of her friendships with the cream of British politics.

May 15 - Brooks is charged with interfering with a police investigation into a phone hacking scandal.

Nov. 20 - Coulson and Brooks are charged with conspiring to make illegal payments to officials for information for stories.

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The top films at the North American box office

LOS ANGELES, Dec 16 - Following are the top 10 movies at North American box offices for the three-day weekend starting Dec. 14, led by "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" at No. 1, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters. 1 (*) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey........$84.77 million 2 (2) The Rise of the Guardians................$ 7.4 million 3 (4) Lincoln..................................$ 7.2 million 4 (1) Skyfall..................................$ 7.0 million 5 (5) Life of Pi...............................$ 5.4 million 6 (3) Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2.........$ 5.17 million 7 (7) Wreck-It Ralph ..........................$ 3.2 million 8 (6) Playing for Keeps .......................$ 3.2 million 9 (8) Red Dawn.................................$ 2.3 million 10 (-) Silver Linings Playbook..................$ 2.0 million NOTES: (*) = new release CUMULATIVE TOTALS: Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 ...............$276.8 million Skyfall ........................................$272.3 million Wreck-It Ralph..................................$168.7 million Lincoln.........................................$107.8 million Argo............................................$104.9 million Flight..........................................$ 89.4 million Hobbit..........................................$ 84.77 million Rise of the Guardians...........................$ 71.3 million Life of Pi ....................................$ 69.5 million Red Dawn........................................$ 40.8 million "The Hobbit" was released by Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc. "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" was released by Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment LGF.N. Sony Corp's 6758.T SNE.N movie studio released "Skyfall." "Lincoln" was produced by Dreamworks and released by Walt Disney Co DIS.N. Disney also released "Wreck-It Ralph." Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc VIAB.O, released "Flight" and the Dreamworks Animation DWA.O production "Rise of the Guardians." "Life of Pi" was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp NWSA.O. FilmDistrict, an independent studio, distributes "Playing for Keeps." The Weinstein Company distributed "Killing Them Softly."

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'Hobbit' debut reaps $13 mln in US and Canada, a December record

By Lisa Richwine

Fri Dec 14, 2012 3:43pm EST

n">Dec 14 (Reuters) - The first of three "Hobbit" movies kicked off its box office quest with an estimated $13 million in ticket sales from showings at U.S. and Canadian theaters just after midnight on Friday, a record for a December debut.

The performance topped the $8 million from midnight sales for December 2003 film "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is a highly anticipated prequel to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

"The Hobbit" also rung up sales of $27.3 million in 42 international markets since its overseas debut on Wednesday, distributor Warner Bros. said. Combined with the early North American (U.S. and Canadian) sales, the global total stands at an estimated $40.3 million.

The new 3D film follows the epic journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, as he travels with a band of dwarves to steal treasures from the dragon Smaug. The film is directed by Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson and features many of the stars of the earlier films. All of the movies are based on classic novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.

"The Hobbit" likely will finish the weekend with domestic sales of $75 million or more from Friday through Sunday, predicts Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com.

Some analysts have projected three-day domestic sales may top $100 million, though no movie has opened that big in December, a time when children are in school and families are busy with holiday activities. T he North American record for the month of December belongs to Will Smith sci-fi film "I Am Legend," which debuted with $77.2 million in 2007.

The "Lord of the Rings" movies, which debuted from 2001 to 2003, brought in $2.9 billion at global box offices.

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc, distributed "The Hobbit." Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema and MGM produced the film.

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'Hobbit' movie sets December record for US, Canadian debut

LOS ANGELES | Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:51am EST

LOS ANGELES Dec 16 (Reuters) - The highly anticipated "Hobbit" fantasy movie won the weekend box office race with an estimated $84.7 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, a r ecord debut for December.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is the first of three films based on a classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The "Hobbit" movies are prequels to the blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" trilogy that brought in $3 billion worldwide when the films played in theaters a decade ago.

Sales for the new "Hobbit" movie toppled the old record for December set by Will Smith sci-fi flick "I Am Legend," which pulled in $77.2 million over its opening weekend in 2007.

In second place for the weekend was "Rise of the Guardians," which earned $7.4 million, followed by historical drama "Lincoln" starring Daniel Day-Lewis, which grabbed $7.2 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates.

James Bond movie "Skyfall" landed in fourth place with $7 million.

Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. studio distributed "The Hobbit." The movie was produced by MGM and Warner Bros. unit New Line Cinema. "Lincoln" was produced by Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Co . Sony Corp's movie studio released "Skyfall."

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New hotel offers rare sign of new construction in Haiti

* First major hospitality brand to open in Haiti in decades

* Hotel built partly with post-earthquake funds

By Susana Ferreira

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The opening of the upscale Royal Oasis Hotel in Haiti on Wednesday ushered in a new phase in the country's post-earthquake reconstruction, while providing a sharp contrast to the plight of hundreds of thousands still homeless almost three years after the disaster.

The elite Oasis hotel in Petionville, a business and social hub in the hills south of Port-au-Prince, is part of the Occidental hotel chain and is the first in a string of international brand-name hotels opening in the coming months.

A Best Western Premier is scheduled to open its doors in January, and the newly reincarnated El Rancho is set to follow in February under the management of the Spanish group NH Hoteles .

A Marriott hotel, opening in partnership with telecom service provider Digicel, will have its official groundbreaking next week in downtown Port-au-Prince, and Comfort Inn is already in the process of taking over management of an existing hotel in the southern tourist city of Jacmel.

The Oasis boasts 128 rooms and suites, restaurants, retail shops and a conference center. An evening in the Royal Club Presidential Suite will set you back well over $1,000, with butler service included.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, still struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in January 2010 that killed an estimated 250,000 people and left more than 1 million homeless.

Some 358,000 earthquake victims were still living in camps and makeshift settlements as of October 2012, according to the most recent survey by the International Organization for Migration.

The Oasis by Occidental is the first international hospitality brand to operate in the troubled country in years, a faint echo of Haiti's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s when the Caribbean island was a hip destination for international celebrities.

Haiti was previously home to a Club Med, a French resort chain that operated on a palm-lined strip of beach north of Port-au-Prince, and a Holiday Inn in the capital's teeming downtown.

STRONG MESSAGE

The return of major hospitality brands sends a strong message, says Ulrick Emmanuel Noel, director of investment for the Ministry of Tourism.

"It shows that we're open to international partnerships ... (and) that we're preparing to be a serious international destination," Noel said. "Private investors are starting to trust the Haitian state."

According to the Ministry of Tourism, about half of the capital's roughly 1,600 hotel rooms were lost in the January 2010 earthquake. By mid-2013, metropolitan Port-au-Prince will have some 3,500 hotel rooms.

While the Oasis hotel project was six years in the making, it benefited directly from post-earthquake reconstruction funds. Investors group SCIOP S.A. was awarded $7.5 million in financing by the World Bank's International Finance Corporation and more than $2 million by the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, headed by former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund recently announced that it would cease operations at the end of 2012.

The hotel opening comes at a time when the Caribbean country is struggling to recover from a difficult year that saw its fragile agricultural sector badly battered by more natural disasters, including Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed crops and sparked protests over the cost of living.

Following a recent visit, the International Monetary Fund released a statement on Monday warning that "heightened domestic political and social tensions - fueled by pervasive poverty and lack of progress in improving living standards - and natural disasters could impede the fragile recovery and constrain Haiti's growth prospects."

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UPDATE 3-'Hobbit' film sets December record in US, Canada debut

* First of three films based on classic novel

* Mixed response from critics to "Hobbit"

* Total 2012 box office take seen hitting record $10.8 billion

By Patricia Reaney and Lisa Richwine

Dec 16 (Reuters) - "The Hobbit" brought home a big box office treasure over the weekend, setting a December movie record with $84.77 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales as legions of fans turned out for the long-awaited big-screen return to Middle Earth.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" also rung up sales of $138.2 million in international markets. Global receipts for the prequel to the smash "Lord of the Rings" trilogy stood at $222.97 million through Sunday, distributor Warner Bros. said.

The current projection for the total box office take in 2012 is $10.8 billion, according to an estimate from Hollywood.com, which would beat the $10.6 billion record in 2009.

The 3D "Hobbit" directed by Oscar-winning "Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson is the first of three films based on a 1937 classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Warner Bros. is aiming to build on the success of the "Rings" series, one of Hollywood's biggest franchises with $2.9 billion in global ticket sales.

"The Hobbit" also set a record with its $15.1 million earnings from IMAX theaters worldwide, according to Warner Bros. It is also the largest opening for any film in the canon of "The Lord of the Rings."

The "Lord of the Rings" movies debuted in theaters from 2001 to 2003. After that, production on "The Hobbit" ran into delays, leaving fans waiting a decade for another look at the fantasy story of dwarves, wizards and elves.

The opening weekend "Hobbit" sales proved interest remained high. North American (U.S. and Canadian) receipts toppled the old record for December set by Will Smith sci-fi flick "I Am Legend," which pulled in $77.2 million when it debuted in 2007.

"The best we were hoping for was to reach or exceed the $77 million set by that movie and we did it by quite a lot. It was all good and we're very happy about it," said Dan Fellman, president of theatrical distribution for Warner Bros.

"You have to assume that by the time this first week is over we are going to have around $110 million in the bank before the holiday even starts," he added.

The new film follows the epic journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, as he travels through the treacherous Middle Earth with a band of dwarves to steal treasures from the dragon, Smaug.

The movie also stars Richard Armitage and Benedict Cumberbatch, while Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Elijah Wood reprise their "Rings" roles.

Opening-weekend audiences embraced "The Hobbit," awarding an "A" grade in polling by survey firm CinemaScore. Critics had a mixed response to the nearly three-hour film. Sixty-five percent of reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website recommended the movie, although some objected to Jackson's decision to shoot it using a 48-frames-per-second format rather than the usual 24.

SOME VIEWERS NAUSEOUS

The faster frame rate delivers clearer pictures, but some critics called the format cartoonish and jarring. Only a fraction of theaters showed the film in the new format. Some fans at early screenings in New Zealand complained it made them feel nauseous and dizzy, according to The New Zealand Herald.

The next two "Hobbit" movies are scheduled to reach theaters in December 2013 and July 2014. The films were financed by MGM and Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema unit for an estimated $500 million.

"The Hobbit" took a bumpy, years-long journey to the big screen that included two directors and a lawsuit. Jackson made the "Rings" trilogy when producers could not get "The Hobbit" rights that were held by MGM's United Artists unit.

Guillermo del Toro was first hired to direct "The Hobbit" but he left the project when financial woes at MGM caused delays. The movie went into production only after Jackson settled a lawsuit against New Line in a dispute over profits from the "Rings" films.

"The Hobbit" was the only new nationwide release over the weekend. The rest of the top five were films that have been playing for weeks.

In second place was the animated family film "Rise of the Guardians" with $7.4 million, followed by historical drama "Lincoln" starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the revered U.S. president, which grabbed $7.2 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates.

James Bond movie "Skyfall" landed in fourth place with $7 million.

Next on the box office chart was "Life of Pi," which captured $5.4 million. Teen vampire tale "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" earned $5.17 million.

Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. released "The Hobbit." "Lincoln" was produced by Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Co. Sony Corp's movie studio released "Skyfall." Dreamworks Animation distributed "Rise of the Guardians," which was released by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures. Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment, released "Breaking Dawn."

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UPDATE 2-'Hobbit' film sets December record in US, Canada debut

* First of three films based on classic novel

* Mixed response from critics to "Hobbit"

* 2012 box office take estimated to hit record $10.8 billion

By Patricia Reaney and Lisa Richwine

Dec 16 (Reuters) - "The Hobbit" brought home a big box office treasure over the weekend, setting a December movie record with $84.77 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales as legions of fans turned out for the long-awaited big-screen return to Middle Earth.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" also rung up sales of $138.2 million in international markets. Global receipts for the prequel to the smash "Lord of the Rings" trilogy stood at $222.97 million through Sunday, distributor Warner Bros. said.

The current projection for the total box office take in 2012 is $10.8 billion, according to an estimate from Hollywood.com, which would beat the $10.6 billion record in 2009.

The 3D "Hobbit" directed by Oscar-winning "Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson is the first of three films based on a 1937 classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Warner Bros. is aiming to build on the success of the "Rings" series, one of Hollywood's biggest franchises with $2.9 billion in global ticket sales.

The "Lord of the Rings" movies debuted in theaters from 2001 to 2003. After that, production on "The Hobbit" ran into delays, leaving fans waiting a decade for another look at the fantasy story of dwarves, wizards and elves.

The opening weekend "Hobbit" sales proved interest remained high. North American (U.S. and Canadian) receipts toppled the old record for December set by Will Smith sci-fi flick "I Am Legend," which pulled in $77.2 million when it debuted in 2007.

"The best we were hoping for was to reach or exceed the $77 million set by that movie and we did it by quite a lot. It was all good and we're very happy about it," said Dan Fellman, president of theatrical distribution for Warner Bros.

"You have to assume that by the time this first week is over we are going to have around $110 million in the bank before the holiday even starts," he added.

The new film follows the epic journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, as he travels through the treacherous Middle Earth with a band of dwarves to steal treasures from the dragon Smaug.

The movie also stars Richard Armitage and Benedict Cumberbatch, while Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Elijah Wood reprise their "Rings" roles.

Opening-weekend audiences embraced "The Hobbit," awarding an "A" grade in polling by survey firm CinemaScore. Critics had a mixed response to the nearly three-hour film. Sixty-five percent of reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website recommended the movie, although some objected to Jackson's decision to shoot it using a 48-frames-per-second format rather than the usual 24.

SOME VIEWERS NAUSEOUS

The faster frame rate delivers clearer pictures, but some critics called the format cartoonish and jarring. Some fans at early screenings in New Zealand complained it made them feel nauseous and dizzy, according to The New Zealand Herald. Only a fraction of theaters showed the film in the new format.

The next two "Hobbit" movies are schedules to reach theaters in December 2013 and July 2014. The films were financed by MGM and Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema unit for an estimated $500 million.

"The Hobbit" took a bumpy, years-long journey to the big screen that included two directors and a lawsuit. Jackson made the "Rings" trilogy when producers could not get "The Hobbit" rights that were held by MGM's United Artists unit.

Guillermo del Toro was first hired to direct "The Hobbit" but he left the project when financial woes at MGM caused delays. The movie went into production only after Jackson settled a lawsuit against New Line in a dispute over profits from the "Rings" films.

"The Hobbit" was the only new nationwide release over the weekend. The rest of the top five were films that have been playing for weeks.

In second place was the animated family film "Rise of the Guardians" with $7.4 million, followed by historical drama "Lincoln" starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the revered U.S. president, which grabbed $7.2 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates.

James Bond movie "Skyfall" landed in fourth place with $7 million.

Next on the box office chart was "Life of Pi," which captured $5.4 million. Teen vampire tale "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" earned $5.17 million.

Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. released "The Hobbit." "Lincoln" was produced by Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Co. Sony Corp's movie studio released "Skyfall." Dreamworks Animation distributed "Rise of the Guardians," which was released by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures. Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment, released "Breaking Dawn."

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"Hobbit" may bring a Hollywood ending to 2012 box office

By Lisa Richwine

LOS ANGELES | Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:00am EST

LOS ANGELES Nov 30 (Reuters) - It took more than a decade, two directors and a lawsuit before "The Hobbit" made it to the big screen. Hollywood executives are crossing their fingers that the culmination of that journey will help smash movie box office records this year.

The film, which opens on Dec. 14, is expected to contribute to the first annual box office increase in North America in three years, a sign that big movie studios have made more films enticing enough to get people into theaters and away from their TVs, games and the Internet.

"The Hobbit" follows this year's other big box office successes "The Avengers," which became the industry's third-largest film with $623 million in U.S. sales, and "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Hunger Games" which both passed $400 million.

Hollywood analysts predict the two months of the year that include "The Hobbit" and the finale of the "Twilight" vampire series may lift U.S. and Canadian ticket sales above the $10.6 billion record set in 2009.

"The fourth quarter is just gangbusters," said box office watcher Phil Contrino, editor of the boxoffice.com website. "One movie after the other is exceeding expectations."

Annual receipts are on track to end 5 percent above last year at $10.8 billion or more, projects Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com. Ten films have already passed $200 million in ticket sales, compared to seven last year, when no film passed the $400 million mark.

That would be the first yearly box office increase in three years, and would be from a jump in admissions rather than a hike in ticket prices that traditionally fuel box office growth. Ticket prices are averaging $7.94, a penny increase from last year, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners.

Hollywood has raked in $9.7 billion so far in ticket sales and sold more than 1.2 billion tickets in the North American (U.S. and Canadian) market, 5.5 percent up on a year ago.

The industry thought it had a record in sight last year, only to see underwhelming performances from holiday releases such as thriller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and animated movie "Hugo," which left ticket sales at a three-year low.

OFF THE COUCH

Studios face a difficult entertainment landscape in which consumers have an array of competing outlets for movie watching that includes DVR recordings, game players and movies streamed over computers and mobile phones.

Services like Netflix Inc have also made a dent in trips to the theater by offering cheap monthly rentals that make it easier to stay on the couch.

What has got people out of their homes, Hollywood moguls say, is a rise in the quality and variety of what is on screen.

This year, studios offered up a rush of big-budget blockbusters including "Skyfall," the highest grossing of the 23 James Bond films t h at is still selling well with $227 million in domestic sales.

"Ted," about a foul-mouthed stuffed bear, was a surprise winner with $219 million. Several mid-sized hits that won critical acclaim, including Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Lincoln" and the Iran hostage thriller "Argo," became box office darlings.

"There is something for everyone," said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution at News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio. "When we achieve that as an industry and the movies are of good quality, that's when good things happen."

Sony oiled up its Spider-Man franchise and collected $262 million by rebooting it with new stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in "The Amazing Spider-Man." Disney's Pixar unit struck it big again with the animated movie "Brave."

Hollywood did not escape some box office bombs. Two big-budget bets - board-game inspired thriller "Battleship" and outer space adventure "John Carter" - ranked among the most costly flops in movie history.

The mass killing at a Colorado movie theater in July marred the release of Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises." B ut the film eventually grossed $448 million domestically, ranking as the year's second-biggest.

Hollywood also overcame summer doldrums. The season that accounts for the bulk of yearly sales slumped 5 percent behind 2011. The second weekend in September produced the lowest-grossing weekend since 2001.

The pace quickened at the start of the holidays - the second-biggest movie going period - with "Twilight" finale "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" and James Bond movie "Skyfall" leading record Thanksgiving sales of $291 million over five days.

"FOUR QUADRANT" FILM

That has got the industry's hopes up for the Christmas season when families gather and shoppers fill malls. Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures is releasing the musical adaptation "Les Miserables," and The Weinstein Company offers up the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller "Django Unchained." A street-brawling Tom Cruise returns in "Jack Reacher" from Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures.

But it is the dwarves and wizards from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," that Hollywood is banking on to generate movie going mania. Set 60 years before the Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the movie is the kind that studios love - a "four quadrant" film that appeals to male, female, young and old, said Contrino of Boxoffice.com. He projects $137 million in opening weekend domestic sales, rising to $475 million through its theatrical run.

The film, based on the fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien about the travels of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, almost did not make it to the screen at all. Director Peter Jackson made the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy when producers could not get "The Hobbit" rights that were held by MGM's United Artists unit.

"The Hobbit", also a trilogy, has been produced by MGM and Time Warner Inc but only after Jackson settled a lawsuit against Time Warner's New Line Cinema unit in a dispute over profits from the "Rings" trilogy.

Now all the film has to do is delight fans with a new hobbit adventure across Middle Earth and deliver a record year for Hollywood.

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Top films at the North American box office

LOS ANGELES, Dec 2 - Following are the top 10 movies at North American box offices for the three-day weekend starting Nov. 30, led by "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" at No. 1, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters.

1 (1) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2..$17.4 million 2 (2) Skyfall..................................$17.0 million 3 (3) Lincoln..................................$13.5 million 4 (4) Rise of the Guardians................. $13.5 million 5 (5) Life of Pi...............................$12 million 6 (6) Wreck it Ralph...........................$7 million 7 (*) Killing Them Softly......................$7 million 8 (7) Red Dawn.................................$6.6 million 9 (8) Flight...................................$4.5 million 10 (*)The Collection..........................$3.4 million NOTES: Last weekend's rankings in parenthesis. (*) = new release

CUMULATIVE TOTALS: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2............................................$254.5 million Skyfall......................................$246 million Wreck-It Ralph...............................$158.3 million Lincoln......................................$83.7 million Flight.......................................$81.5 million Rise of the Guardians........................$48.9 million Life of Pi .................................$48.4 million Red Dawn.....................................$31.3 million

"Breaking Dawn - Part 2" was released by Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment. Sony Corp's movie studio released "Skyfall." "Lincoln" was produced by Dreamworks and released by Walt Disney Co. Disney also released "Wreck-It Ralph." Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc, released "Flight" and the Dreamworks Animation production "Rise of the Guardians."

"Life of Pi" was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.

The Weinstein Company distributed "Kiling Them Softly."

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Obama election tweet most repeated but Olympics tops on Twitter

By Himank Sharma

Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:57am EST

n">Dec 11 (Reuters) - An election victory tweet from President Barack Obama -- "Four more years" with a picture of him hugging his wife -- was the most retweeted ever, but the U.S. election was topped by the Olympics as the most tweeted event this year.

Obama's tweet was retweeted (repeated) more than 810,000 times, Twitter said as it published a list of the most tweeted events in 2012. ()

"Within hours, that Tweet simultaneously became the most retweeted of 2012, and the most retweeted ever. In fact, retweets of that simple message came from people in more than 200 countries around the world," Twitter spokeswoman Rachael Horwitz said.

Twitter users were busiest during the final vote count for the presidential elections, sending 327,452 tweets per minute on election night on their way to a tally of 31 million election tweets for the day.

The 2012 Olympic Games in London had the most overall tweets of any event, with 150 million sent over the 16 days.

Usain Bolt's golden win in the 200 meters topped 80,000 tweets per minute but he did not achieve the highest Olympic peak on Twitter. That was seen during the closing ceremony when 115,000 tweets per minute were sent as 1990s British pop band the Spice Girls performed.

Syria, where a bloody civil war still plays out, was the most talked about country in 2012 but sports and pop culture dominated the tally of tweets.

Behind Obama was pop star Justin Beiber. His tweet, "RIP Avalanna. i love you" sent when a six-year-old fan died from a rare form of brain cancer, was retweeted more than 220,000 times.

Third most repeated in 2012 was a profanity-laced tweet from Green Bay Packers NFL player TJ Lang, when he blasted a controversial call by a substitute referee officiating during a referee dispute. That was retweeted 98,000 times.

This was the third year running that the microblogging site published its top Twitter trends, offering a barometer to assess the biggest events in social media.

Superstorm Sandy, which slammed the densely populated U.S. East Coast in late October, killing more than 100 people, flooding wide areas and knocking out power for millions, attracted more than 20 million tweets between Oct. 27 and Nov. 1.

European football made the list of top tweets when Spain's Juan Mata scored as his side downed Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final -- sparking 267,200 tweets a minute.

News of pop star Whitney Houston's death in February generated more than 10 million tweets, peaking at 73,662 per minute.

Romantic comedy "Think Like a Man" was the most tweeted movie this year, topping "The Hunger Games", "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Rises."

Rapper Rick Ross who notched his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart this year, was the most talked about music artist.

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