Sir Peter Jackson's film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has topped the United States box-office chart for a second week.
It took in $US36.7 million, easily beating its nearest rivals.
Tom Cruise's latest film, Jack Reacher, came second with $US15.6 million.
The Hobbit's takings were well down on the $US85 million of its first week.
Though box-office analysts say that was due to the Christmas shopping rush, they also suggest the film will struggle to match the success of the final Lord Of The Rings film.
The Return Of The King made $US1.2bn worldwide after its release in 2003. At the time, it was the second highest-grossing film ever, although it has since been overtaken by the likes of Avatar and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.
Tom Cruise's film also opened with lower-than-expected takings, making approximately half as much money as Mission Impossible 4, which was released this time last year.
The movie is based on Lee Child's Jack Reacher character, a former soldier and military policeman who lives "off the grid" and doles out vigilante-style justice.
Written and directed by The Usual Suspects' Oscar-winning scriptwriter Christopher McQuarrie, the film has fared well with critics, despite initial worries about Cruise, who is just 170cm tall, playing the 200cm tall hero of the novels..
