Box Office: 'Avatar' wins race with $73M!

Weekend of December 18 – 20, 2009: 'Avatar' scores big while the 'Morgans' crash & burn

James Cameron’s new sci-fi epic “Avatar” landed at the No. 1 spot at the North American box office this weekend with a solid $73 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Early estimates predicted the film could bag up to $80 million, but it fell a little short.

Fox’s action spectacle, which is currently playing in 2D, 3D and IMAX at 3,452 locations, scored a superb average of $21,147 per theater. The film is budgeted at around $230 million, the most expensive project the studio has ever developed.

In “Avatar,” Sam Worthington plays a former marine who is sent into the wild to win over the trust of a native population on a distant planet that boasts minerals invaluable to the human race.

“Did You Hear About the Morgans?,” this weekend’s only other wide release, debuted in fourth place with only $7 million from ticket sales at 2,718 locations. The film stars Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker as a couple forced to enter a witness protection program.

At No. 2, Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” generated another $12.2 million, lifting its cumulative gross to $44.7 million. Following in third place with $10 million was “The Blind Side,” which reached a domestic total of $164.7 million.

Meanwhile, Chris Weitz’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” finished fifth this weekend, taking home $4.3 million for a cume of $274.5 million after a stunning five-week run in release.

Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” followed at No. 6, earning $4.1 million for a total haul of only $15.8 million. Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” collected $3.4 million, enough for the seventh spot. The film’s total currently stands at $130.7 million.

Entering the top 10 after expanding to 175 locations was Jason Reitman’s George Clooney vehicle “Up in the Air,” which bagged a solid $3.1 million for an early cume of $8.1 million at No. 8.

Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” finished ninth this weekend with $2.6 million ($22 million domestic total), while Disney’s “Old Dogs” pulled $2.2 million for a total gross of $43.5 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

Update on Monday, December 21, 2009 at 11:01AM by Franck Tabouring

UPDATE: Revised numbers for "Avatar" come in at $77 million!