The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has broken the record for the highest-grossing Friday release ever in December, earning $37.5 million (£23.2m) at the US box office.
Warner Bros is predicting the film will take in $85m over the weekend, which is also a record for December, says The Hollywood Reporter.
The Hobbit already has made $57m (£35m) overseas during its three-day release from December 12. Its worldwide gross currently stands at $94.5m (£58.4m).
The movie reunites Peter Jackson with his Lord of the Rings actors including Sir Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis.
The Hobbit, the first part of the three-part film series, takes place 60 years before The Lord of the Rings. It stars Martin Freeman as hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who is hired by wizard Gandalf (McKellen) to join 13 dwarves on the journey to Middle-earth.
Freeman admitted that he wants to be “good” in the films, saying: “The main thing I’m focusing on, is that I want to be good in the films. Cause I’ve made a few films that only 300 people have seen, but at least I’m proud of them. And I wouldn’t have unmade them because they didn’t make money.
“So my first judge, my first critic, is me, as with most of us who are creative about what we do. And I want to like The Hobbit. And of course I want zillions of other people to like it too.”