(Relativity)

UPDATED SUNDAY

Avatar‘s astounding run at #1 is over.

After upsetting the James Cameron juggernaut on Friday, Dear John also posted better Saturday box office numbers, albeit by a narrower margin. The romance earned an estimated $12.4 million yesterday to edge the sci-fi epic’s estimated $11.3 million.

With a weekend total of $32.4 million, Dear John also beat Hannah Montana‘s record for a Super Bowl Weekend. That concert film earned $31.1 million in 2008.

At number two, “Avatar” snagged $23.6 million this weekend, raising its domestic total to $630.1 million. 

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ORIGINAL POST – 11:30AM Saturday -

The weekend is far from over, but early projections have produced a big surprise. The over performing love story Dear John is expected to end Avatar‘s reign atop the box office.

Starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum, Dear John shot to a huge $13 million Friday opening in North America, far ahead of Avatar, still very strong in its eighth week with a $6 million Friday take.

While numbers from today and tomorrow (Super Bowl Sunday) could obviously shake things up, estimates now place Dear John at roughly $30 million for the weekend, which would be enough to knock off the ridiculously successful Avatar.

Again, numbers won’t be final until tomorrow night. But Avatar‘s long stay atop the weekend box office MAY be over.

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(20th Century Fox)

There’s a new #1 at the all-time domestic box office.

Avatar has now made more than $601 million in North America, edging past director James Cameron‘s own Titanic, whose $600.8 million total occupied the top spot for twelve years.

The futuristic sci-fi spectacular is already the all-time #1 worldwide. It broke Titanic‘s domestic record late Tuesday, after just 47 days of release, and on the same day it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

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(20th Century Fox)

UPDATE – 1/31/10

The numbers are in, and they’re staggering.

Not only did Avatar win a seventh consecutive weekend – as projected – but its $95.1 million international take across 120 global markets pushes the blockbuster past $2 billion overall, even earlier than expected.

With $594.5 million (domestic) and $1.45 billion (overseas), the film has registered an astonishing $2.045 billion at the box office.

Avatar has now cracked the $100 million mark in China, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Spain are close behind.

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ORIGINAL POST – 1/30/10

Early projections give Avatar a seventh straight weekend box office triumph.

The James Cameron sci-fi epic, already the all-time earnings champ, is rocketing toward the $600 million mark for domestic gross, as well as (gulp) $2 billion worldwide. It might pass both milestones in the next few days.

Avatar looks to tack approximately $28 million to its total by Sunday night. It had already passed $1.9 billion overall before the weekend even began.

The Mel Gibson comeback flick Edge of Darkness is expected to be in second place for the weekend, well behind Avatar if studio projections hold.

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(20th Century Fox)

It’s official.

This morning Avatar passed Titanic to become the all-time box office champion.

The sci-fi spectacular has just surpassed $1.8 billion worldwide, the total Titanic grossed back in 1997-98.

Yes, the new film’s grosses are aided by higher ticket prices for 3D screenings and inflation. But #1 is #1, and Avatar now holds the title.

Domestically, Titanic is still at the top with $600.8 million, but Avatar is on pace to earn that distinction shortly.

In other box office news, The Twilight Saga: New Moon has topped the $700 million mark worldwide.

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(20th Century Fox)

As we approach final box office tallies for the weekend, it looks like early estimates will hold. Avatar is set to take a sixth consecutive weekend, fending off Legion and others, and becoming the highest-grossing film in North American history after director James Cameron‘s own Titanic.

Projections give Avatar a $36 million weekend and a cumulative domestic box office north of $552 million.

The Harrison Ford film Extraordinary Measures bombed in its debut, finishing in seventh place.

Gossip Cop will keep tracking Avatar as it steams toward Titanic‘s #1 spot on both the all-time domestic and all-time worldwide box office charts.

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(20th Century Fox)

The victories keep piling up for James Cameron and Avatar.

The director’s sci-fi epic is poised to win a sixth consecutive weekend at the box office, according to estimates, and its cumulative domestic grosses will overtake The Dark Knight for the second-best total in North American history.

A slate of new movies including the supernatural Legion, kids pic The Tooth Fairy, and Harrison Ford vehicle Extraordinary Measures failed to knock Avatar from its throne. Projections see roughly $35 million over the weekend for the reigning champ, nearly twice that of second-place Legion.

Again, these are just estimates for now, but it looks like Avatar has stayed on top. We’ll update with final numbers when available…

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(PerezHilton.com)

Earlier today Gossip Cop reported that James Cameron‘s Avatar had won the box office for a fifth consecutive weekend, which it did.

While Avatar ceded Friday (narrowly) to The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington as a post-apocalyptic hero, actual box office results handed another big weekend at the #1 spot to the reigning sci-fi phenomenon.

Too bad Perez Hilton can’t quit his habit of copying and pasting stories before he even reads them.

Yes, the blogger once again goes light on facts and late on “news,” breathlessly posting, “Eli Kicks Avatar Off It’s (sic) High Horse,” and going on to claim, “if the numbers remain consistent throughout the weekend,” The Book of Eli would beat Avatar for the top spot.

Oops.

Just to reiterate: After everyone else named Avatar #1 based on Friday through Sunday numbers, Perez used Friday numbers to declare that Avatar’s reign had finally ended.

Again, oops.

Follow @GossipCop on Twitter for accurate entertainment and celebrity news!

(20th Century Fox)

Avatar has hit $1.6 billion worldwide, creeping closer to the all-time box office champ, Titanic.

The James Cameron epic scored its fifth straight domestic box office win, earning $41.3 million in the three days beginning Friday. It should pass $500 million in North America on Monday.

It’s now the third-highest grossing domestic movie ever at $491.8 million, behind Titanic and The Dark Knight.

Aided by word of mouth, crossover appeal, higher 3D ticket prices, and staggering staying power into its second month, Avatar is now roughly $237 million behind Titanic for the all-time crown.

It took Titanic 98 days to reach the total Avatar has amassed in just thirty-two.

Gossip Cop will follow the numbers as they grow and grow and grow…

Follow @GossipCop on Twitter for updates!

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(20th Century Fox)

UPDATE – 12:15PM 1/10/10

The receipts are in, and Avatar actually had a BETTER weekend than expected, pulling in $48.5 domestically to help raise its worldwide total to $1.34 BILLION.

With a “B.”

We’d say James Cameron‘s having a pretty good year.

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ORIGINAL POST – 1/9/09

An astounding box office run continues for Avatar, estimated to finish as the (easy) #1 at the box office for a fourth consecutive weekend.

Already the second-highest grossing movie of all time (worldwide) behind director James Cameron‘s own Titanic, the sci-fi epic raked in an estimated $13 million on Friday to kick start what looks to be a $46 million weekend. The film’s cumulative haul is expected to rise to roughly $425 million at the North American box office, overtaking Transformers: Rise of the Fallen as the top domestic movie released in 2009.

Meanwhile, the film is approaching $800 million overseas, edging closer to $1.2 billion overall.

Wow.

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(20th Century Fox)

Christmas keeps going and going for James Cameron.

Thanks to Avatar‘s unrelenting box office might over the holidays and into the new year, the director is set to have the two highest-grossing films in history in a few days from now.

That’s right — Avatar has not only topped $1 billion in worldwide receipts, but will soon snag the #2 spot in box office history, right below Cameron’s own Titanic.

Boosted by enormous overseas business and 3D ticket prices, the sci-fi epic has shot to the #4 spot already, with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest in its sights and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (the current #2) less than $100 million away.

Whether the film can come close to Titanic‘s mind-blowing $1.8 billion haul remains to be seen. But Avatar‘s blue aliens are seeing some serious green.

Follow @GossipCop on Twitter for updates.

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In North America, the film made $68.3 million this weekend to bring its cumulative box office to $352.1 million, a staggering 17-day total that puts James Cameron‘s sci-fi blockbuster  – with its overseas take of $670 million — at more than $1 billion.

Wow!

The movie, which lost barely any money-making momentum between its first and second weekends, snagged the top spot again in its third week. After a big New Year’s Day Friday, strong word of mouth and higher 3D ticket prices kept it well above other strong performers including Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

Four other films have made more than $1 billion worldwide — Cameron’s own Titanic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest, and The Dark Knight.

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