Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried in 'Dear John' - (Screen Gems)

We hate to stereotype, but we don’t find it all that surprising that Avatar got bumped off its box office throne on Super Bowl weekend and replaced in the top spot by a chick flick. After all, the ladies had to have something to do while their men were going all caveman for a bunch of guys pounding on each other in the modern gladiator event known as the Super Bowl.

Avatar raked in another $23.6 million at the weekend box office, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the somewhat surprisingly robust ticket sales of Dear John, starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum. The movie soared to the top of the box office with $32.4 million in sales – with a hefty 84 percent female audience, according to MTV.com. That’s good news for Screen Gems, which made enough in the film’s first weekend to pay for the movie’s entire production budget.

Avatar has managed to top nearly every record at the box office made by James Cameron’s previous epic drama, Titanic, but at least one will remain standing for now. Titanic held number one at the box office for 17 straight weeks.

With a total of over $2 billion at the box office so far, we’re sure the powers-that-be behind Avatar aren’t feeling all that bummed about losing out on conquering another record. We’re sure they are happily consoled with all those fat piles of crisp, green bills to roll around in.

>> Previously: Avatar Box Office Swamps Titanic Worldwide Record

Avatar (20th Century Fox)

Avatar has already broken nearly every other box office record out there, topping Titanic for highest grossing film of all time and taking the record for the highest grossing film world-wide. All that’s left is the U.S. domestic box office record and Avatar is expected to take that one as well within a few days.

Coming in second at the weekend box office was the Mel Gibson thriller Edge of Darkness, with $17.1 million. The romantic comedy When in Rome debuted in third with $12 million, followed by The Tooth Fairy, The Book of Eli and Legion rounding out the top five.

Avatar may seem like an astounding box office success, but adjust for inflation and the film might not even make the top ten. Films like Gone with the Wind, The Graduate and even 101 Dalmations would have topped it at the box office if you adjusted their earnings to today’s dollars, according to Box Office Mojo.

Chris Aronson of 20th Century Fox, however, says comparing box office sales in such a way doesn’t add up. “Back in 1939, the entertainment options were somewhat limited,” Aronson said. “That was a different world, when the only things competing with movies might be radio theater. It’s not a fair comparison.”

Whether or not Avatar can truly be called the biggest money-making film of all time, no one can argue the film’s success at the box office is spectacular. If someone had pitched us the plot for this movie and said it would make over a billion at the box office, we probably would have thought they were totally nuts.

>> Previously:  Avatar Box Office Swamps Titanic Worldwide Record

Avatar (20th Century Fox)

We’re thinking James Cameron is probably feeling pretty full of himself right about now. He shouldn’t feel too cocky though. As Kristina Dorsey of TheDay.com notes: If you were to adjust for inflation, 1939′s Gone with the Wind would still hold the world record. Way back then, the film only made $400 million, but that would translate into a spectacular 6 billion dollars in today’s market.

Avatar has already pushed aside Titanic overseas, becoming the highest earning film in history outside of the U.S. The only Titanic record left for Avatar to beat is conquering the U.S. domestic box office. Titanic still holds the record there with $600.8 million in ticket sales, but Avatar isn’t far behind with over $550 million so far.

Considering the film is only six weeks into release and will probably be lingering in theaters for a while yet, we’re thinking it’s only a matter of time before that record falls as well.

>> Previously:   Avatar Box Office Creeps Up on World Record

Avatar (20th Century Fox)

Avatar now trails James Cameron’s other epic movie, Titanic, by only $7 million at the box office. It seems almost a given at this point that Avatar will shortly break the record for the highest grossing film of all time.

The film has already managed to take the title of the largest grossing film overseas, bringing in $1.288 billion outside of the U.S. – beating Titanic’s record of $1.242 billion. Avatar has not yet managed to break Titanic‘s domestic box office record so far.

The downside to all this box office love? We’re sure to be plagued with Avatar knock-offs for years to come. Sigh. Including, more than likely, a far less interesting sequel that will totally fail to capture the charm and intrigue of the first film.

>> Previously:  Avatar Box Office Continues to Break Records

Avatar

So far worldwide, Avatar has earned $1.34 billion, coming in second in total earnings only to James Cameron’s previous epic film, Titanic. Titanic earned $1.8 billion total. Although Avatar continues to creep up on that previous record, with sales starting to slow, it is still questionable if the new James Cameron film will manage to overtake the old in total sales.

Avatar now holds the record as the top grossing film of 2009 and the best fourth weekend ticket sales of any film in history.

Sherlock Holmes followed Avatar in second place at the weekend box office, with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel coming in third. The anti-Twilight vampire flick Daybreakers pulled in at number four, with the Meryl Streep comedy It’s Complicated rounding out the top five.

We just feel embarrassed for any film that came in after Alvin and the Chipmunks. I’d resign from Hollywood if my movie debuted below a recycled film about animated, singing rodents…

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Avatar

Avatar topped the box office over the weekend with $73 million in U.S. ticket sales, the second-highest grossing December debut of all time. Avatar has raked in around $232 million worldwide so far. Although exact figures have not been released, it is estimated the film cost between $300 and $500 million to produce and market.

Although some critics were a bit put off by previews of the film, Avatar has been widely praised by reviewers and audiences alike since its release. The movie is surprisingly thoughtful for such a big-budget blockbuster and few can argue that film is spectacularly gorgeous to watch.

Disney’s The Princess and the Frog came in at number two in the weekend box office with $12.2 million, followed by the dark horse Sandra Bullock flick The Blind Side with $10 million. The Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans came in at fourth with $7 million, followed by The Twilight Saga: New Moon in fifth with $4.4 million.

Next weekend Avatar will battle for the top spot against upcoming releases Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and the romantic comedy It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep.

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