Box office: ‘Hobbit’ still No. 1, but ‘Woman in Black 2’ close behind

Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” dominated the box office Friday with an estimated $8.4 million. The third installment in “The Hobbit” franchise, grossed $207 million in its first 17 days, according to Box Office Mojo.

Two other holiday films --”Into the Woods’ and “Unbroken”-- weren’t able to ward off newcomer “The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death.” The sequel to the popular 2012 British horror film starring Daniel Radcliffe, came in second with an estimated $7.8 million. The film, which received poor reviews, didn’t impress audiences who give “Angel of Death” a C grade with Cinemascore.

Disney’s “Into the Woods,” based on the award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical, earned an estimated $7.5 million for a total gross of $79.6 million, while Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken” took in an estimated $7.4 milion Friday. The drama about Olympic runner and World War II hero Louis Zamperini has grossed an estimated $78.8 million.

Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, continues to perform well in limited release. The film earned an estimated $234,000 Friday on just four screens for a nine-day total of $1.8 million. The film goes into wide release on Jan. 16.

And Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” took in an estimated $227,000 on 22 screens Friday for a nine-day total of $1.7 million. The historical drama chronicling the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign in 1965 to secure voting rights for blacks, will go wide on Friday.