3D blockbuster “Avatar” has reigned supreme at the US box office for the last seven weeks, but the James Cameron juggernaut was prevented from making it eight weekends in a row at number one by a new romantic comedy from director Lasse Hallstrom.
“Dear John”, starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, and based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, grossed just under thirty four and a half million, also helping to make history by being the highest grossing Superbowl Sunday film in history, beating the previous holder, 2008’s “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds”, which took in just over thirty one million on that same day. “Avatar” was knocked down to second place, still generating a further amount of just under twenty three million to thrust its already historic domestic take up to six hundred and thirty million, the highest grossing movie ever (provided you don’t adjust for inflation, of course, in which case its still “Gone with the Wind”).
Third place – with quite a steep drop – was the new John Travolta thriller “From Paris with Love”, which could only pull in just over eight million, while Mel Gibson’s “Edge of Darkness” fell to fourth place with a take of just seven million. Rounding out the top ten were “Tooth Fairy” (six and a half million), “When in Rome” (five and a half million), “The Book of Eli” (just under five million), “Legion” (just under three a half million) and “Sherlock Holmes” which took in just over two and a half million in its seventh weekend on release (and in the top ten) for a domestic total so far of two hundred and one million.
