The Hobbit: The Battle Of Five Armies Estimated To Have $70 Million Plus Opening Weekend At U.S. Box Office

Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth saga finally comes to close as The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies open in U.S. theaters today.

And fans are expected to give the series quite the send-off. According to The Hollywood Reporter, analysts are expecting the third Hobbit film to earn between $70 and $75 million in its first five days, making it the weekend’s box office winner.

The Battle of the Five Armies officially hits U.S. screens as early as 7:00 p.m. last night, and has been in theaters since last Friday in foreign markets. So far, the film has grossed $125 million in the international sector.

If The Battle of the Five Armies hits its projected numbers, or even exceeds them by reaching $80 million, it would be on pace with its first two installments. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, earned $84.6 million in its opening weekend, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug earned $73.6 million in its debut. However, those two films earned those numbers through a three day opening weekend.

But The Battle of the Five Armies will have another battle on its hands starting on Friday, when Night at the Museum: Secret the Tomb–the weekend’s projected runner-up, and Annie hit theaters.