The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

After a trio of weeks at the top of the box office The Hobbits have made way for the Oscar tipped Stephen Hawking bio-pic The Theory Of Everything.

The film had previews in the last week which pushed it to the top of the tree, had it not had those previews it would have stalled at number 2 and not debuted at the top, instead it makes it way to number 1 with £3.7 million.

Falling just the one place this week is The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies which only narrowly missed out on a fourth week at the top with a £3.2 million start to the year.

Sitting comfortably at number 2 the third and final Hobbit movie has so far racked up £36.7 million in the UK, and looks likely to beat Smaugs UK total.

Also new this week are
The Woman In Black Angel of Death at 4
Birdman at 7

Historical charts

A year ago
After entering lower down the chart with preview screenings American Husle moves to the top of the box office knocking The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug down to number 2, Last Vegas was the highest new film at 4.

Five years ago
After giving up the top spot for a couple of weeks Avatar makes its way back to the top knocking Alvin and The Chipmunks The Squeakquel down to 3, Did You Hear About The Morgans? was the highest new film at 4.

Ten years ago
The Incredibles regained the number 1 spot after a couple of weeks away knocking The Polar Express down to number 5, highest new film of the week was Without A Paddle at number 4.

Fifteen years ago
There was no stopping The World Is Not Enough as it spent another week at the top of the box office, very little in the way of new releases meant that Fantasia 2000 was the highest new film right down at 13, and on limited release!

Twenty years of in the Month of January Interview With The Vampire was the big film with again with Star Trek Generations making an impress debut run at number 2.

Twenty five years ago Parenthood was the top film for January while When Harry Met Sally was the big new film for the month at number 2.

The festive period of 2014 has arrived and like each year where we have had a Middle Earth film, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is the top film for the week.

A weekend gross of £4.2 million has pushed it's total gross to £28.8 million for it's UK run.

Highest new film of the week the Ridley Scott directed Exodus Gods and Kings, entering the box office chart at number 2 with a £2.6 million take.

Not a bad opening gross but a long way off some of Scotts other films, his highest of which is Hannibal which took £6.4 on it's debut weekend.

Other new films this week are Annie at 4 and Unbroken at 7.

Historical charts

One year ago
Last year The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was still holding the top slot while The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was the highest new film at 4.

Five years ago
Avatar left the top spot and fell into second place making way for Alvin and The Chipmunks The Squeakquel which debuted at number one.

Ten years ago
The Polar Express goes back to the top knocking Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events down to number two, the highest new film was National Treasure at four.

Fifteen years ago
The World Is Not Enough hung to the top of the box office like glue and the highest new film was Dogma which entered at three.

It's that time of year when we look back at the most this and that of a year.

One of the more interesting lists is that of the most pirated movies of the year.

2014 is the year where The Wolf of Wall Street has been pirate downloaded more than any other.

With Frozen at number two, both films selling really well on home video it does beg the question about piracy ruining sales!

Here is the top 10

1. The Wolf of Wall Street: 30.035 million downloads
2. Frozen: 29.919 million downloads
3. Gravity: 29.357 million downloads
4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: 27.627 million downloads
5. Thor: The Dark World: 25.749 million downloads
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: 25.628 million downloads
7. The Legend of Hercules: 25.137 million downloads
8. X-Men: Days of Future Past: 24.380 million downloads
9. 12 Years a Slave: 23.653 million downloads
10. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: 23.543 million downloads

No change at the top this week with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies staying for it's second week of release, it's weekend gross of £5.4 million is down 55.6% on last weeks.

The latest, and last, film in the series is running at the same rate of gross as the previous film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but behind The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Paddington stays at two this week and highest new film is in at three, Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb, grossing this week £1.8 million.

Also new this week is Dumb and Dumber To which enters at four, Indian film P K which is new at seven.

Historical Charts:

A Year ago
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug stayed at the top of the chart with Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues entering at number two.

Five years ago
Avatar made it's debut at the top of the box office knocking A Christmas Carol off the top down to number three.

Ten years ago
Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events was the new film entering at the top with last weeks top film Blade Trinity falling right down to fourth.

Fifteen years ago
It was still The World is Not Enough at the top refusing to shift while Inspector Gadget came in at number two as the highest new film.

Frozen releases its grip on the Blu-ray/DVD charts this week to allow Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues to enter the chart at the top on its debut week of release.

Anchorman 2 which stars Will Farrell was, after much hype, released at the box office on 20th December last year, not performing as well as expected the film entered the box office at 2, behind The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, with a £4.5 million weekend gross. It spent 5 weeks on the chart taking £14 million in UK grosses.

Last week's top film, Frozen, falls just a single place to 2 this week.

Other new releases this week are
American Hustle (3)
Mandela Long Walk to Freedom (5)
All Is Lost (11)