James Cameron's computer-generated epic Avatar has blown away box-office competition - after cinema goers braved blizzard conditions across the U.S. boost ticket sales to $73 million.
The human-alien love story, starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, took in another $159.2 million overseas in its opening weekend (18-20Dec09).
The film's worldwide total cashes in at $232.2 million - a boost for Cameron and studio bosses at Twentieth Century-Fox, who spent an estimated $400 million to make and market the film.
Avatar pushed last week's number one movie, Disney's The Princess and the Frog to second place. The animated film, starring Dreamgirls' Anika Noni Rose, took in $12.2 million in earnings and now boasts a four-week total of $44.8 million.
Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock's The Blind Side slipped from two to three, with $10 million in earnings in its fifth week.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant's comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans? opened up at number four with $7 million.
Vampire franchise The Twilight Saga: New Moon also fell from four to five, taking in another $4.4 million, which brings the blood-sucking film's five-week total to $267.3 million in the U.S.
Despite it's Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations there was a three place drop for Clint Eastwood's Invictus, which dropped from three to six.
But another award favourite Up In The Air seemed to benefit from all the recent attention as it climbed three places from eleven back into the top ten at eight.
1. Avatar - $73,000,000
2. The Princess And The Frog - $12,224,000
3. The Blind Side - $10,030,000
4. Did You Hear About The Morgans? - $7,000,000
5. The Twilight Saga: New Moon - $4,370,000
6. Invictus - $4,170,000
7. A Christmas Carol - $3,419,000
8. Up In The Air - $3,100,000
9. Brothers - $2,630,000
10. Old Dogs - $2,289,000
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