Avatar Loses Top Spot to Dear John

Avatar has finally been knocked off the top spot in the North American box office chat after seven weeks at number one. The epic Sci-Fi movie was surprisingly brushed aside by a romantic drama movie, Dear John, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.The spectacular Sci-Fi movie became the fastest movie to ever achieve $1bn (£625.6m) in ticket sales around the world and dominated the UK and US cinemas thus on its way to becoming the most successful film of all time at the international box office. The movie takes over from Titanic ($1.8; £1.1bn), also directed by James Cameron, with receipts of $1.859bn (£1.15bn) in just six weeks.

Avatar, a predominantly computer-generated Sci-Fi saga about a disabled marine who infiltrates a race of giant blue aliens and eventually help defend their moon against human invaders, combines live action with digitally-enhanced performances and state-of-the-art visual effects in a 3D film. Although previous movies that used 3D technology such as Monsters Vs Aliens did not enjoy similar high ratings, the success of Avatar seems to have revived interest in the 3D format.

According to entertainment analyst Nielsen EDI, standard “2D” screenings represent just 15% of Avatar’s UK takings in contrast to 85% derived from 3D or IMAX 3D screenings. Such data is encouraging news for forthcoming 3D titles like Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3 and Tron: Legacy and could be a catalyst for the release of more high-profile titles in coming months.