Weekend Box Office

1) Avatar - $73 million

2) The Princess and the Frog - $12.2

3) The Blind Side - $10 million

4) Did You Hear About The Morgans? - $7 million

5) The Twilight Saga: New Moon - $4.3 million

6) Invictus - $4.1 million

7) Disney's a Christmas Carol - $3.4 million

8) Up In The Air - 3.1 million

9) Brothers - $2.6 million

10) Old Dogs - $ 2.2 million

Well, to nobody's real surprise James Cameron's 3D outer-space epic Avatar was the number one film at the box office this weekend in its opening week. Avatar, which is the director's first movie since his multiple Oscar winning film, Titanic, was released in 3,452 theaters and averaged $21,147 per theater for a grand total of $73 million over the weekend, well on it's way to earning back its purported $200 million plus budget. Last week's number one film, Disney's animated film The Princess and the Frog fell back one spot this week by only earning $12.2 million. The film, which was in 3,475 theaters made only $3,518 per theater dropping almost 50% from it's opening week. However the movie, which cost $105 million to make has now almost made half of its money back with a two week total of $44.7 million.

After five weeks in either one of the top two spots on the box office charts, Sandra Bullock's juggernaut of a football film The Blind Side, based on the true story of NFL Offensive Lineman Michael Oher, has slipped to number three. The film, which only cost $29 million to make, now has an incredibly impressive total gross of $164 million. In over 3,400 theaters in its fifth week, the movie made an average of $2,944 per theater and made an additional $10 million over the weekend. The Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker witness-protection comedy Did You Hear About The Morgans? made a modest $7 million in its opening week taking the number four spot. The movie, which opened in roughly 2,718 theaters made only an estimated $2,575 per theater. Finally, after five weeks on the charts the teen-vampire sequel The Twilight Saga: New Moon has dropped nearly 45% from last week making only an additional $4.37 million. The film, which cost about $50 million to make, has now grossed a total of about $274 million.

In limited release this week and doing very well was the theatrical version of the popular musical Nine starring Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cottilard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Judi Dench. The film, which was only seen in four theaters made an estimated $61,750 per theater for a total gross of $247,000 in its opening week. Also doing well in limited release is Up In The Air from Juno director Jason Reitman starring George Clooney as a traveling corporate axe-man, now in it's third week at the box office. The film, which is getting accolades and award nominations left and right, was added in roughly a 103 theaters this weekend and made $17,714 per theater for an additional $23.1 million bringing the film's total gross up to a little over $8 million so far. Also getting great reviews and earning several award nominations is the alcoholic-Country Music Singer redemption film, Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges in a role that is sure to earn him an Oscar nomination and co-starring screen-legend Robert Duvall and Maggie Gyllanhaal. The film, which opened on Wednesday and was only shown in four theaters in its opening week, earned $21,050 per theater for a weekend total of $84,200 and an impressive opening week total of $110,000. However, not fairing so well this weekend was the royal biopic The Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt as the young queen. The film, which was in twenty theaters over the weekend only made $7,400 per theater for a disappointing opening weekend total of only $148,000.

Next week, with Christmas happening on Friday there will be a wide range of new films opening for you to enjoy when you are done opening your presents. Actually opening two days before Christmas, on Wednesday, is Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakuel, a sequel to the popular 2007 film starring the singing critters. Also on Wednesday, Up In The Air starring George Clooney finally gets its wide release. Which brings us to Christmas, when the long awaited, Guy Ritchie adapted, film of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle novels, Sherlock Holmes, starring Jude law, Rachel McAdams and Robert Downey Jr. in the title role finally opens. Also opening on Christmas is the Nancy Myers' directed, romantic-comedy It's Complicated starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, as well as the late Heath Ledger's final film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus directed by Terry Gilliam. Check back in seven days to see who comes out on top at the box office next week and happy holidays to you from all of us at Movieweb.