Weekend Box Office: Gibson Returns to Empty Theaters

By Scott Gwin: 2010-01-31 19:02:48

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Weekend Box Office: Gibson Returns to Empty Theaters

For a seventh weekend in a row, Avatar sat at the number one spot, raking in aother $30 million and falling just short of the $600 million mark. Once it crosses that line it will have eclipsed Titanic as the highest grossing movie in US history.

To be fair, the record will have to go in the books with a little asterisk by it. Without Avatar's padded 3D ticket prices, it would possibly now only be around the $450 million mark.

Already the highest grossing international film, there's only one other record of Titanic's that remains for Avatar to break: number of weekends at number one. That total stands at 11. Will it make it? I guess that depends on which group of fanatics is bigger: the Channing Tatum fan club (his latest Dear John hits theaters next week) or the crazies seeing Avatar for the eighth or ninth time.

Mel Gibson's return to the screen after a six year acting hiatus saw a sour reception. Edge of Darkness opened with only $17 million for a distant second place. Rom-com When In Rome also had a weak debut, totalling just $12 million for third place.

For a full breakdown of the weekend top ten, check out the chart below: