NEW YORK: The last of Peter Jackson's three Hobbit films rode to a third straight weekend atop box office charts, selling an estimated $21.9 million in tickets at US and Canadian theatres.

Disney's film version of the dark Broadway musical Into The Woodsclaimed the No. 2 spot with $19.1 million, while the World War Two drama Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie, finished third with $18.4 million for the Friday through Sunday period.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies grabbed another $9.3 million from New Year's Day screenings for a four-day take through Sunday of $31.2 million, and has a domestic total of $220.8 million since its Dec 17 release, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak.

The new year's first weekend numbers spelled some welcome news for film studios, with total ticket sales up 8.4 per cent from 2014's initial weekend.