'Dear John' dethrones 7-week 'Avatar'

The film, an adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel about a soldier who falls in love with a college student, stormed to an impressive US$30.5 million on its debut, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said.

The movie, starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, has received largely negative reviews but proved too strong for science-fiction epic “Avatar,” the highest-grossing film in history with more than US$2 billion worldwide.

James Cameron's film, which last week scooped nine nominations for next month's Oscars, earned another US$22.9 million to add to its record-breaking haul.

Action film “From Paris With Love,” starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, opened in third spot with a disappointing US$8.1 million.

In fourth spot was revenge thriller, “Edge of Darkness,” featuring Mel Gibson in his first major screen role since 2002.

The film about a hard-bitten Boston cop hunting his daughter's killers earned US$6.9 million in its second weekend.

Dwayne Johnson comedy “The Tooth Fairy,” fell to fifth place in its second week of showing, with US$6.6 million in box office receipts, with US$34.5 million in total.

Romantic comedy “When in Rome,” starring Kristen Bell as a New Yorker seeking love in the Eternal City was sixth with US$5.5 million.

Denzel Washington's “Book of Eli,” an action movie set in a post-apocalyptic world took in US$4.7 million for seventh place and US$82 million for its four-week run.

In eighth spot was “Crazy Heart,” the low budget drama about a washed up country singer struggling to rebuild his career starring Jeff Bridges in the Oscar-nominated lead role ─ Bridges is regarded as the odds on favorite to scoop his first Academy Award for the performance. “Crazy Heart” earned US$3.6 million.

In ninth spot was another post-apocalyptic thriller, “Legion,” with US$3.4 million while the top 10 was rounded out by “Sherlock Holmes” with US$2.5 million.

The high-octane take on the adventures of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary London detective, played by Robert Downey Junior, has taken US$201.5 million in seven weeks.

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