'Dear John' topples 'Avatar'
Romantic drama is new No. 1 at box office
February 8, 2010, 9:06 a.m.
STAFF REPORT
The seven-weekend run in the top spot at the box office for "Avatar" ended, with "Dear John" seizing No. 1 by grossing an estimated $32.4 million and setting a record for the highest-grossing Super Bowl Sunday frame in history.
"Avatar" fell to second place for the first time, dropping 25 percent to $23.6 million. Its domestic take climbed to $630 million.
"Dear John," based on Nicholas Sparks' novel, bested the previous record held by 2008's concert film "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds" which opened to $31.1 million.
The weekend's other wide release, "From Paris With Love," earned $8.1 million in its debut - good for third place.
Mel Gibson's "Edge of Darkness" finished in fourth place with $7 million. And "Tooth Fairy" rounded out the top 5 with $6.5 million.
"When in Rome" suffered as a result of women flocking to see "Dear John." The romantic comedy starring Josh Duhamel and Kristen Bell fell 55 percent in its second weekend to $5.5 million.