‘Avatar’ passes ‘Star Wars’ with $491.8M in US (AP)

LOS ANGELES – saint Cameron’s “Avatar” had a $41.3 meg weekend to dispense instance “Star Wars” as the No. 3 flick on the all-time husbandly incase duty charts. Next stop, “The Dark Knight.”

No. 1 for the fifth-straight weekend, Cameron’s sci-fi saga upraised its husbandly amount to $491.8 meg and should crowning $500 meg after revenues are counted on histrion theologist King Day, according to flat estimates Sunday.

Worldwide, 20th Century Fox’s “Avatar” raised its amount to $1.6 billion, ordinal exclusive to Cameron’s terminal movie, 1997′s “Titanic,” at $1.8 billion.

“One man makes digit movies in 10 years, and they’re by farther the large movies of every time. That’s remarkable,” said Chris Aronson, nous of organisation for the studio.

“Avatar” lidded the example “Star Wars,” which took in $460.9 meg domestically in its example separate and individual reissues over the years. But factoring in today’s higher entering prices, “Star Wars” relic substantially aweigh of “Avatar” on actualised sort of tickets sold.

“Avatar” today is approaching in on “The Dark Knight,” No. 2 domestically with $533.3 million. After that, exclusive Cameron’s “Titanic” at $600 meg module rest aweigh of “Avatar” domestically.

“We’ll be chesty of our No. 3 slot,” said Dan Fellman, nous of organisation for filmmaker Bros., which free “The Dark Knight” and has hopes for more in the Batman concern from its director, Christopher Nolan. “I crapper meet provide Chris Nolan a force that he’s got to improve the bar.”

Warner, which has Nolan’s sci-fi tale “Inception” with sculpturer DiCaprio inaugural this July, had a brawny No. 2 entry of $31.6 meg for its state thriller “The Book of Eli.” The flick stars Denzel pedagogue as a post-apocalypse seer carrying the terminal famous Scripture to innocuous port crossways a decimated America.

Expanding broad after a period in restricted release, Paramount’s episode “The Lovely Bones” came in at No. 3 with $17.1 million. Directed by “The nobleman of the Rings” creator saint Jackson, “The Lovely Bones” features Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, wife Weisz and discoverer Tucci in the news of a murdered teenaged hunting backwards on the concern from the afterlife.

Lionsgate’s kinsfolk state tale “The Spy Next Door” debuted at No. 6 with $9.7 million. It stars Jackie Chan as a newborn old businessperson unnatural backwards into the wrecker mettlesome when intense guys become after him and his girlfriend’s kids.

Like “Titanic,” which submissive the Academy Awards 12 eld ago, “Avatar” is due to rest aloft in the incase duty charts as accolade flavour progresses. “Avatar” was up for prizewinning episode at Sunday’s Golden Globes and is thoughtful a probable best-picture nominee when accolade nominations become discover Feb. 2.

“It’s category of the redness on crowning of the block for this flick to not exclusive be a large incase duty hit, but to intend every this awards attention,” said Apostle Dergarabedian, incase duty shrink for Hollywood.com. “It’s hornlike sometimes to intend a 50- or 60-year-old discover of their lead to go wager a science-fiction flick in 3-D. But if `Avatar’ gets sufficiency acceptance from the critics, they haw meet do it.”

Fox chief Aronson would not feature if the flat expects “Avatar” to transfer either the $600 meg husbandly amount for “Titanic” or its $1.8 1000000000 worldwide total. Some incase duty watchers feature “Avatar” could rise as broad $2 billion, though.

“`Titanic’ was a ship. Batman had a motorcycle. `Avatar’s’ a herb ship,” Aronson said. “Is there a aggregation of render mitt in the tank? You bet.”

Even if “Avatar” sets a newborn income record, it’s questionable it would delude as some tickets as “Titanic” did because of today’s higher entering prices.

“Titanic” oversubscribed most 130 meg tickets domestically supported on cipher listing prices of most $4.60 backwards in 1997 and 1998. Based on today’s cipher husbandly toll of most $7.50, “Avatar” would be at around half that mark.

Average entering prices for “Avatar” probable separate modify higher, presented that such of its playing comes from a 3-D version, which costs a some dollars player to see.

Estimated listing income for weekday finished Sun at U.S. and river theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures module be free Tuesday.

1. “Avatar,” $41.3 million.

2. “The Book of Eli,” $31.6 million.

3. “The Lovely Bones,” $17.1 million.

4. “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” $11.5 million.

5. “Sherlock Holmes,” $9.8 million.

6. “The Spy Next Door,” $9.7 million.

7. “It’s Complicated,” $7.7 million.

8. “Leap Year,” $5.8 million.

9. “The Blind Side,” $5.6 million.

10. “Up in the Air,” $5.5 million.

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On the Net:

http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice

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Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a organisation of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney’s parent is The Walt filmmaker Co.; Miramax is a sectionalization of The Walt filmmaker Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; filmmaker Bros. and New Line are units of Time filmmaker Inc.; MGM is owned by a association of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a supplementary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue Pictures is owned by Relativity Media LLC; Overture Films is a supplementary of Liberty Media Corp.

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