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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
“Avatar” may have been in theaters for seven weekends but it shows no sign of slowing down as it locked in first-place at the box office, easily beating newcomers “Edge of Darkness” and “When in Rome.”
Twentieth Century Fox's “Avatar,” from filmmaker James Cameron, earned about $30 million this weekend, raising its domestic total to more than $594 million. The sci-fi adventure tells the story of a wounded ex-marine (Sam Worthington), thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.
Warner Bros. Pictures' “Edge of Darkness” had the highest gross of the weekend's two new releases with about $17.1 million in second-place. Mel Gibson portrays veteran homicide detective and single father Thomas Craven in the action drama. When his 24-year-old daughter is murdered outside his home, Det. Craven uncovers a secret world of corporate cover-ups, government collusion and murder.
The weekend's other new release Touchstone Pictures' “When in Rome” debuted in third-place with about $12.1 million. Kristen Bell stars as an ambitious New York woman who travels to Rome and picks coins out of a fountain in the romantic comedy. Her actions prompt some magic to work its, well, magic and suddenly the romantically challenged woman has more suitors than she can handle.
Twentieth Century Fox's “The Tooth Fairy” remained in fourth-place with about $10 million. It has earned about $26.1 million during its two weekends in theaters. Dwayne Johnson plays minor league hockey player Derek Thompson in the family comedy. When Derek discourages a child from dreaming, he is ordered to spend one week as a tooth fairy. As Derek attempts to adapt to the role, he begins to discover his own forgotten dreams.
Warner Bros. Pictures' “The Book of Eli” dropped to fifth-place with about $8.8 million. Its three weekends in theaters have yielded about $74.4 million. Denzel Washington stars as a lone warrior who fights his way across a desolate wasteland in the futuristic thriller. Along the journey, he discovers his destiny and delivers knowledge that can bring civilization back from the brink of destruction.
Rounding out this weekend's top 10 were Screen Gems' “Legion” ($6.8 million), Paramount Pictures' “The Lovely Bones” ($4.7 million), Warner Bros. Pictures' “Sherlock Holmes” ($4.5 million), Twentieth Century Fox's “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” ($4 million) and Universal Pictures' “It's Complicated” ($3.7 million).
The following is a list of the top ten films at the box office for the weekend of Jan. 22-24, 2010. They are currently playing at AMC and Harkins movie theaters throughout the Phoenix area. Click any title for a full review and check the NCM.com map at the bottom of this page for specific showtimes and locations.
1. “Avatar,” $30 million
2. “Edge of Darkness,” $17.1 million
3. “When in Rome,” $12.1 million
4. “The Tooth Fairy,” $10 million
5. “The Book of Eli,” $8.8 million
6. “Legion,” $6.8 million
7. “The Lovely Bones,” $4.7 million
8. “Sherlock Holmes,” $4.5 million
9. “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” $4 million
10. “It's Complicated,” $3.7 million
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