HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — It took a tear-jerker to finally knock off James Cameron’s sci-fi mania at the box office.
Dear John, a love story starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, debuted as the No. 1 movie over the weekend with $32.4 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The strong opening knocked Avatar from the top spot, a position Cameron’s epic had held for seven straight weeks.
Dear John‘s total was also a record opening for Super Bowl weekend, topping the $31.1 million debut for 2008’s Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.
Avatar, which received nine Academy Award nominations, is still going strong as it brought in $23.6 million to finish second.
John Travolta’s new action thriller, From Paris With Love, debuted in third place at $8.1 million.
Weekend Box Office
1. Dear John, $32.4 million.
2. Avatar, $23.6 million.
3. From Paris With Love, $8.1 million.
4. Edge of Darkness, $7 million.
5. The Tooth Fairy, $6.5 million.
6. When in Rome, $5.5 million.
7. The Book of Eli, $4.8 million.
8. Crazy Heart, $3.7 million.
9. Legion, $3.4 million.
10. Sherlock Holmes, $2.6 million.
