The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is an instant hit in China, where it posted a stellar debut of $32.7 million from roughly 5,500 screens, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Peter Jackson's tentpole marks the biggest three-day opening of all time for a Warner Bros. title, and exceeded the debut of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey by 74 percent.

All told, Desolation of Smaug has now earned $637.1 million internationally, pushing its global gross to $893.7 million. The only market left in which the movie has yet to open is Japan.

Desolation of Smaug did huge business in Imax theaters in China, with $4.4 million. It's the biggest opening ever for a Hollywood title, surpassing the $4.3 million debut of Gravity.

It is a race to see whether Desolation of Smaug will ultimately match the $1.01 billion earned by An Unexpected Journey, including $49.7 million in China.