The Hobbit crosses $500m at international box office

New Line / MGM / Warner Bros’ first-part adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s beloved book has ruled them all for the last three sessions and on current form could pass the $575m mark by Sunday.

By Jan 2 Fox International’s Life Of Pi stood at $234.8m. Thus far the film has grossed $143m in the Asia/Pacific region, powered by that remarkable $91m haul from China, where as previously reported here it ranks as the third biggest release of 2012 behind Titanic 3D and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. It also stands as Fox’s third biggest release of all time behind Avatar and Titanic and the industry’s fifth biggest release in history.

In Lee’s native Taiwan, Pi has amassed $15.3m and held on to the number one spot for the last five weekends. It ranks as Fox’s third biggest release ever behind Avatar and Titanic and the industry’s second biggest release of the year behind The Avengers. Pi has grossed $15m in India after five weeks as the top MPAA release and ranks as the third biggest MPAA film of all time behind Avatar and 2012 and the biggest MPAA hit of last year.

Elsewhere it has become Fox’s third biggest release of all time in Malaysia on $4m and opened in Australia on Tuesday [1] in second place behind The Hobbit. By Friday [4] it stood at $4.2m.

Life Of Pi has amassed $20.5m in Latin America so far and stands at $9.3m in Mexico and $6.5m in Brazil. Europe had generated $86m through Jan 2. The UK and Germany have produced $23.3m after 14 days and $10m in the first week, respectively. Pi opened in Russia on Jan 1 and has earned $4.2m in two days.

Comedy Parental Guidance on an early $8.9m arrives in Singapore and around 14 other Southeast Asian, African and Middle Eastern territories. The Sessions opens in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Working Title’s Les Misérables has raced to $44.8m through Universal Pictures International.

Sony Pictures Releasing International’s Skyfall has grossed more than $700m and is winding down. The distributor opens Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained in Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. Comedy Here Comes The Boom arrives in Colombia.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International’s Wreck-It Ralph has reached $111.5m and opens in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay.

Lionsgate International reported on Thursday that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 reached $800m worldwide — the first time a Twilight film has done so in the history of the franchise. It will also be the only time a Twilight film achieves this feat, given that the franchise is now over.

The international running total stands at more than $524.7m. The finale has grossed $2.1m in Hong Kong after two weekends and opened in Japan on $1.3m from 160 screens. The Impossible stands at $67.6m.

DreamWorks Animation’s Rise Of The Guardians has reached $171.2m through Paramount Pictures International.