The big-budget "Hobbit" fantasy movie ruled movie box office charts for a second straight weekend, fending off Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise in new crime drama "Jack Reacher." 

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" hauled in nearly $37 million from theaters in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates of Friday-through-Sunday ticket sales. The film is the first of three movies based on the classic J.R.R. Tolkien novel about a world of dwarfs, elves and dragons in the fictitious Middle Earth.

In second place, Cruise's "Jack Reacher" about the investigation into a sniper shooting brought in just short of $17 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters. Distributor Paramount Pictures postponed a premiere of the film after the fatal school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, sparked new scrutiny of violent movies.

Adult comedy "This is 40," starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a middle-aged couple, brought in $12 million, finishing in third place.

"The Hobbit" was distributed by Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. studio. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc, released "Jack Reacher." Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures distributed "This is 40."

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REVIEW: It's hard to watch "Jack Reacher" without thoughts of the Newtown school shooting flickering through your head. The film is based on one of Lee Child's books about Reacher, a military vet and drifter turned quasi-homicide investigator, and it opens with a sniper taking aim on numerous innocents, including a nanny and a 6-year-old girl.

It's not the film's fault that what might have just been a plot device two weeks ago carries fresh pain now, and it's kind of a shame. Reacher is a fascinating character. He takes buses, buys all his clothes at thrift stores, notices the year on a quarter that's part of evidence. He's the smartest and toughest guy in any room, and you want him on your side.

As he prepares for a parking-lot fight with a bunch of lunkhead toughs, he describes to them what's about to happen. "The last two guys? They always run," he tells the crew, and of course we know we'll see that scenario play out exactly as Reacher predicts.

As fans of the book series know, Reacher is supposed to be a six-foot, five-inch giant of a man. And as fans of movies know, Tom Cruise is ... probably a foot shorter. Again, not Cruise's fault -- you get the feeling that if he could bulk up a foot in height for a role he'd do it, just like Matthew McConaughey dropping 30 pounds for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club." But there are scenes where Reacher's size would affect how he's perceived by other characters, and Cruise's pretty boy looks give off a different vibe altogether.

The plot of "Jack Reacher" matters less than the development of Cruise's character. There's a gulag-hardened Russian (played by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog!) who chewed off his own fingers (he's much scarier in the book), family squabbling between the blonde D.A. and her father, and Robert Duvall as a gun range-owning Marine who comes to Cruise's rescue. There are some sharp lines ("Weird meeting you," an attorney tells Reacher). 

But overall, this movie won't stick in your head. Like its hero, it'll drift in for a few hours and then disappear from theaters and your memory without a trace.

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Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise in "Jack Reacher."

Guns and shootings are as much a part of Hollywood plots as special effects and makeup. But after last week's shootings in Newtown, Conn., entertainment executives have been scrambling to make changes to avoid looking insensitive to the tragedy.

But one of the changes that many think was related to the shooting was merely a coincidence, network representatives say.

"American Guns," a Discovery Channel reality show about the Wyatt family, gunmakers in Colorado, was not renewed after its second season ended in September. The network said in a statement that it "chose not to renew the series and has no plans to air repeats of the show."

Fox News calls the cancellation a "surprise given (the show's) growing popularity," reporting that the show "had a 50 percent ratings increase for its second season premiere." Fox also quoted a representative of gun-rights group The Firearms Coalition saying, "It does not surprise me that Discovery may be lowering the profile of its gun coverage. That's their prerogative. Nonetheless this tragedy has as much to do about lawful use of guns as the lawful use of cars has to do with a car bombing."

But one change made by cable channel TLC did have to do with the shootings. The pilot for a new reality show, "Best Funeral Ever," was supposed to air Dec. 20. That show, which focuses on elaborate funerals given by the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, will air Jan. 6 instead.

Violence in movies is also an issue. After the shootings at a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in July, a trailer for the film "Gangster Squad" was pulled from theater use due to a scene in which gunmen walk through a theater screen shooting into the audience. "Gangster Squad" was set to open in September, but after the shootings, was moved to January. The theater scene was reportedly edited out, but a gunfire-heavy ad for the film aired Sunday during NFL football, two days after the shootings.

Gun violence is also a theme in Tom Cruise's new movie, "Jack Reacher," which opens Dec. 21. The movie, based on a book by Lee Child, opens with a scene in which a sniper shoots five seemingly random people on Pittsburgh's riverfront.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has made some changes to the marketing of "Jack Reacher" since the Newtown shootings, including cutting a scene from promotional spots that shows Cruise firing a semi-automatic weapon. The studio also postponed the Pittsburgh premiere of the film.

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," which will open on Dec. 25, is also filled with bloody scenes and gun violence. The Weinstein Co. canceled the film's planned public premiere and party Tuesday as a reaction to the shooting.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the tragedy in Newtown, CT and in this time of national mourning we have decided to forgo our scheduled event," The Weinstein Co. said in a statement. "However, we will be holding a private screening for the cast and crew and their friends and families." 

At a press event Saturday, director Quentin Tarantino spoke about the film's violence, saying, "I just think, you know, there's violence in the world, tragedies happen, blame the playmakers. It's a Western. Give me a break."

In the film, Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington play slaves who are whipped and brutalized in the pre-Civil War South. Washington pointed out that much of the violence in "Django Unchained" takes place as characters fight back against slavery.

"I do think that it's important when we have the opportunity to talk about violence and not just kind of have it as entertainment, but connect it to the wrongs, the injustices, the social ills," Washington said.

Movie studio 20th Century Fox also canceled red carpet events for its film "Parental Guidance," which is not a violent film.

Fox also replaced Sunday's episodes of "Family Guy" and "American Dad" with less-violent reruns, and SyFy yanked an episode of "Haven" which included violence in a high school.

While the biggest movies of the month will come Christmas week, a couple of big titles hit theaters this week. Tom Cruise plays stoic and mysterious "Jack Reacher," while the characters of "Knocked Up" get another cinematic turn in "This Is 40." And if you loved Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Total Recall," you may want to compare The Governator's performance with that of Colin Farrell in the remake, coming to home video.

TUESDAY: 'Total Recall' on home video
The 1990 version of "Total Recall" had so much going for it. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the starring role! A three-breasted hooker! Classic lines -- Arnold shoots traitorous wife Sharon Stone while barking, "Consider that a divorce" as only Arnold can. We're still not sure why Hollywood felt a need to remake that film with Colin Farrell in the Arnold role. Critics liked the action, but felt this take had less humor. Now you can compare the two, as Farrell's "Recall" hits home video this week. (On DVD and Blu-ray Dec. 18.)

FRIDAY: 'Jack Reacher'
First, the height question: The character of Jack Reacher in Lee Child's books stands 6 foot five inches tall. His size is a major factor in many plot points. Tom Cruise is famously short. But this is Hollywood, and many of the filmgoers will have never read one of the Reacher novels, so this may not matter. In the film, a man who seemed to have quite clearly shot five people asks the cops for only one thing: That they get him Jack Reacher. The Hollywood Reporter had no trouble with the casting, with critic Todd McCarthy writing, "Tom Cruise might not be the 6-foot-5 rock described in the books, but he makes the title role fit him like a latex glove in a winning turn that could spawn a popular new franchise for the star." (Opens Dec. 21.)

FRIDAY: 'This Is 40'
Although "This Is 40" is being sold as a "Knocked Up" sequel, it's not about Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen's characters. The new film focuses on Debbie (Heigl's sister in the first film) and her husband Pete as they grapple with financial and parenting troubles. If you like director Judd Apatow's work, you'll want to check this one out. Apatow wrote, directed and co-produced, his real-life wife Leslie Mann returns as Debbie, and the Apatow-Mann daughters play the couple's children. (Opens Dec. 21.)

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Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images

The U.S. premiere of Tom Cruise's new movie "Jack Reacher" was scheduled to be held at the Southside Works Cinema in Pittsburgh.

Updated at 2:14 p.m. PT: In the wake of Friday's tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 young children and six adults dead, Hollywood is changing its plans for several shows and a movie due to their sensitive content.

Paramount Pictures is postponing the Pittsburgh premiere of the new Tom Cruise action film, "Jack Reacher."

"Due to the terrible tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and out of honor and respect for the families of the victims whose lives were senselessly taken, we are postponing (Saturday's) Pittsburgh premiere of 'Jack Reacher,' " the studio said in a statement Friday night. "Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones." 

The film -- based on the novels by Lee Child -- opens with what The Hollywood Reporter's review calls a "disturbing" scene showing a sniper killing five people. Cruise plays the title character, a mysterious man who is a former U.S. Army police major. The movie is scheduled to open Dec. 21.

Movie studio 20th Century Fox is canceling the red carpet press event and after party for its Saturday screening of "Parental Guidance," starring Bette Midler, Billy Crystal and Marisa Tomei, according to Deadline.com. The film will still be screened.

The Fox network is also making changes to its popular Sunday Animation Domination block after Friday's massacre. The network confirmed to TODAY.com that original episodes of "Family Guy" and "American Dad" will not air as scheduled. The episodes -- "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" from "Family Guy" and "Minstrel Krampus" from "American Dad" -- will instead be replaced by reruns of the animated comedies.

Fox indicated the programming change was made to avoid airing what might be considered sensitive content after the Newtown shooting.

"The Cleveland Show," "The Simpsons" and "Bob's Burgers" are still scheduled to air original episodes.

On Friday night, Syfy opted not to air its latest new episode of "Haven," which featured scenes of violence in a high school. The network has not indicated when the episode will air. The season finale is scheduled for Dec. 21.

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Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise plays the title role in "Jack Reacher." Out December 21.

Tom Cruise just can't stay out of the news. After his split from Katie Holmes last week, various greetings for his 50th birthday Tuesday, as well as the announcement that the highest-paid actor in show business, Cruise made even more news when the teaser for his upcoming movie "Jack Reacher" was released.

Standing at 5 foot 7 inches, Cruise wouldn’t seem to be cut out to play the broad-shouldered, 6-foot-5-inch Jack Reacher. Yet despite complaints from some fans of Lee Child's character, Cruise is portraying the dark ex-cop vigilante whose rogue adventures span 17 novels.

Based on Lee Child's ninth novel, “One Shot,” the movie features Reacher searching for answers in the case of a military sniper fatally shooting five random victims. In “Dexter”-esque outside-of-the-law fashion, Reacher kills those who deserve to die, voicing over in the trailer, “You think I’m a hero. I’m not a hero. If you’re smart, that scares you, because I have nothing to lose.”  

Driving without the slightest smile, breaking the bones of thugs dumb enough to cross him, and scaring the Russian hospital patient who narrates the trailer are all in a day’s work for the morally dubious protagonist. Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote “The Usual Suspects” and Cruise’s World War II film “Valkyrie,” directs while famous German documentarian Werner Herzog is set to play the film’s bad guy; sadly, neither he nor “Die Another Day’s” Rosamund Pike seem to show up in the trailer.

Cruise is the man we’re excited for though. Riding out his recent divorce and dealing with his curious relationship to Scientology, the actor is still able to lead blockbusters like the “Mission Impossible” saga to box office success while laughing at his own peculiar persona through roles like Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder” and the head-banging Stacee Jaxx in the recent flop, “Rock of Ages.”

His next battle will be to gainacceptance from Reacher fans. At least he has Child’s support, who said in a video on his blog, "We're going to get 100 percent Reacher but only 90 percent of the height ... you have to look at who wants to play the part and who can play the part." 

And regardless, it’s hard to bank against Cruise’s success. From “Risky Business” at 19 to his 50^th birthday, he’s been an A-lister for quite some time.

Paramount Pictures told The New York Times in a statement on Monday, “Tom is a huge movie star for the right reason: He’s a very talented actor whose movies have entertained millions of fans.” They added, his “ability to make a great movie” is what “moviegoers remember above all else.”

Not all fans were thrilled. Cracked Steve Mosby on Twitter, "The first trailer for Jack Reacher confirms people's suspicion that Tom Cruise shouldn't have been let within five foot three of the role."

“Jack Reacher” hits theaters Dec. 21.

Do you think Cruise is a good choice to play tough guy Jack Reacher? Will you see the film? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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