In the first major box office shocker of 2010, tearjerker "Dear John" displaced "Avatar" from the top of the chart with a very strong $32.4 million opening in the U.S. and Canada, according to an estimate from distributor Sony Pictures.
James Cameron's 3-D spectacle "Avatar" took in $23.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $630.1 million. "Avatar" ticket sales were down 25% on its eighth weekend. That's the science-fiction blockbuster's second-highest decline since it launched, demonstrating that it was affected by the new competition.
Pre-release surveys had indicated that "Dear John," Hollywood's latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, would open to a little more than $20 million. Its surprising strength is another sign of the power of the young female audience, which last year drove hits such as "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and "Hannah Montana: The Movie." Its audience was 84% female, and 64% were younger than 21, according to exit polls.
I'll have boxofficemojo.com's Daily Estimates up later today, but click through for Ben Fritz's roundup.
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