'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' tops US box office over Christmas New adventures...The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has topped Christmas box offices around the world, but ticket sales are down compared to the first Hobbit film. THE second movie in The Hobbit trilogy was the biggest box-office hit in US cinemas over Christmas, although takings are down on the first film. Sir Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was the top-grossing film in the US on Christmas Day, heading off five new releases including Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. After 13 days in US cinemas, Smaug earned $US9.32 million ($10.51 million) on the day - 17 per cent less than its Hobbit predecessor An Unexpected Journey on Christmas Day last year, according to Box Office Mojo website. It estimates that Smaug grossed more than $US149 million in the US up to and including Christmas Day and more than $US276 million in the rest of the world as of last Saturday. But the worldwide takings for most countries are recorded only up to December 15, after Smaug had opened as No.1 at the weekend box office in many countries including Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, South Korea and the UK, as well as its Middle-earth home in New Zealand. The film opened in Australia on Boxing Day, making $5.46 million in ticket sales in 629 cinemas, distributor Roadshow films says. That was also less than An Unexpected Journey, which took $5.92 million when it opened in Australia on Boxing Day 2012. Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo in a scene from hit film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. According to worldwideboxoffice.com, An Unexpected Journey is the 17th highest-grossing film, with $US1.02 billion sales. Jackson's biggest commercial success is his 2003 film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which made $US1.13 billion and is the sixth highest-grossing film of all time. Return of the King was also Jackson's biggest critical success, winning the Oscar for Best Picture and in 2004, with Jackson picking up the best director Oscar. Avatar, whose sequels will be made in New Zealand, is the biggest cinematic money-spinner, with $US2.8 billion earnings in 2009, followed by Titanic's $US2.2 billion in 1997. Both films were directed by James Cameron, who now owns several farms in Wairarapa, New Zealand.