‘Avatar’ nears box office record

Entering its seventh frame at the domestic box office, 20th Century Fox’s “Avatar” again proved its staying power, taking in an estimated $30 million. James Cameron’s pic easily surpassed the No. 2 film, Warner Bros.’ Mel Gibson starrer “Edge of Darkness,” which opened with $17.1 million.

“Avatar’s” domestic intake has reached $594.5 million, combined with $1.45 billion internationally, for a worldwide cume that has passed the $2 billion mark.

Last weekend, the film passed “Titanic” in foreign revenues. “Avatar” became the all-time highest grosser worldwide as of Jan. 25, leaving only the domestic figure to beat. Cameron’s 3D phenom still remains just a few strokes behind the $600.8 million domestic benchmark set by “Titanic” in 1998, but given last week’s daily average of $3.18 million, Fox said the pic should beat “Titanic” some time midweek.

Disney saw a solid opening for its first release of the year, romantic comedy “When in Rome,” which took an estimated $12 million at 2,456 locations for a per-screen average of $4,912. Launch saw a 20% uptick from Friday to Saturday with an aud heavily populated by couples, totaling 61%, with only a slight variation among different age groups; auds 18-25 ranked highest with 24%.

CBS Films’ “Extraordinary Measures” failed to gain traction after a disappointing bow last weekend. Pic earned a meager $2.6 million at 2,549 screens in its soph sesh, dropping 57% from a $6 million launch.

“The Lovely Bones” continues to perform solidly for Paramount after opening in a lukewarm limited release, grossing an estimated $4.7 million at 2,638 locations behind Sony’s “Legion,” which earned $6.8 million at 2,476. “Legion,” starring Paul Bettnay, fell 61% in its soph sesh after launching in the No. 2 spot last weekend with $17.5 million.

Both Fox and Warner were repped with three films in the top 10, including “Avatar” and “Darkness,” respectively.

In its soph sesh, Fox’s Dwayne Johnson starrer “Tooth Fairy” dropped 29%, earning $10 million at 3,345 to claim the No. 4 spot, followed by Warner’s “Book of Eli” with $8.8 million from 3,075 in its third frame.

“Sherlock Holmes,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” and “It’s Complicated” rounded out the top 10. Holdover “Holmes” performed well for Warner with an estimated weekend gross of $4.5 million and a cume just shy of the $200 million mark, while Fox’s “Squeakquel” earned $4 million for an overall $209.3 million.

“Darkness,” about a Boston police officer who discovers a corporate cover-up after investigating the death of his daughter, drew a surprising 47% female viewership. The R-rated Mel Gibson starrer scored a B+ CinemaScore rating in exit polls.

1. “Avatar,” $30 million.

2. “Edge of Darkness,” $17.1 million.

3. “When in Rome,” $12.1 million.

4. “The Tooth Fairy,” $10 million.

5. “The Book of Eli,” $8.8 million.

6. “Legion,” $6.8 million.

7. “The Lovely Bones,” $4.7 million.

8. “Sherlock Holmes,” $4.5 million.

9. “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” $4 million.

10. “It’s Complicated,” $3.7 million.

[Credit: Variety / Hollywood.com]