James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar is on course to smash the director's previous box office record after pulling in another $48.5 million to remain atop the U.S. box office chart.
The 3D movie has now taken $429 million in the U.S. alone since its December (09) release and is currently the second biggest grossing film of all time, with global takings of $1.34 billion - placing it only behind Cameron's Titanic, which holds the record with $1.8 billion.
Meanwhile, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes trails behind in second place with $16.6 million and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel sits at number three after bringing in another $16.3 million.
Ethan Hawke's vampire thriller Daybreakers debuts at four with $15 million while Meryl Streep comedy It’s Complicated dropped one place from four to five.
For her performance in the movie Streep is nominated for a Golden Globe, the ceremony takes place next weekend.
The first new entry inside the top ten comes in the form of Leap year starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode.
A woman (Adams) who has an elaborate scheme to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, an Irish tradition which occurs every time the date February 29 rolls around, faces a major setback when bad weather threatens to derail her planned trip to Dublin.
With the help of an innkeeper, however, her cross-country odyssey just might result in her getting engaged.
The only other new entry was Michael Cera’s new movie Youth in revolt. There was a two place drop for Golden Globe and Oscar hopeful Up In The Air, dropping from six to eight.
But this week’s biggest faller was Disney’s The Princess and the Frog which fell from seven to ten.
1. Avatar - $48,500,000
2.Sherlock Holmes - $16,610,000
3. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - $16,300,000
4. Daybreakers - $15,000,000
5. It's Complicated - $11,007,000
6. Leap Year - $9,165,000
7. The Blind Side - $7,750,000
8. Up In The Air - $7,100,000
9. Youth In Revolt - $7,000,000
10. The Princess And The Frog - $4,700,000
Tagged in James Cameron Avatar