SMAUG BREATHES FRESH AIR INTO FRENCH BOX OFFICE

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug brought in an estimated $2.8 million on its opening day in France Wednesday, finishing about 8 percent higher than last year’s premiere of An Unexpected Journey, Warner Bros. said. According to the studio, the film sold 262,800 tickets, 57,500 from screenings in Paris. The film is due to open on 15,000 screens worldwide on Friday, with half of them presenting it in 3D and 3,000 in the high-frame-rate format. The film is being held back until February in Japan, Britain’s Screen Daily reported, “to take advantage of the traditional late February The Lord Of The Rings corridor.” It is also slated to open closer to the Christmas holiday in several Latin American markets.