As the sci-fi epic picked up the Golden Globes for Best Drama and Best Director for James Cameron [JCAME], Avatar [HWAVA] banked a record $54.6 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend to top the previous high of $46.0 million set by Cloverfield. That Avatar was able to accomplish the feat in its fifth weekend of release is simply unimaginable. After one month, Avatar has accumulated $505 million, on pace to surpass The Dark Knight's $533 million and within reach of Cameron's own Titanic's $600 million all-time domestic record.
Book of Eli [BOELI] opened with a robust $38.0M, usually good enough for first place any other year. The post-apocalyptic thriller attracted primarily a male audience.
The Lovely Bones [LVBON] grossed $20.5 million in its first weekend of wide release. Paramount successfully targeted the young female demographic despite a poor showing during its limited run.
The weekend's third new offering The Spy Next Door [SPYND] came in fifth with $13.0 million over the long weekend. The Jackie Chan [JCHAN] comedy appealed strictly to family moviegoers.
| Rank | TITLE | F-S-S-M | TOTAL |
| 1 | AVATAR | $54,600,000 | $505,067,893 |
| 2 | BOOK OF ELI | $38,020,000 | $38,020,000 |
| 3 | THE LOVELY BONES | $20,538,000 | $21,005,000 |
| 4 | ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL | $15,000,000 | $196,091,893 |
| 5 | THE SPY NEXT DOOR | $13,000,000 | $13,000,000 |
| 6 | SHERLOCK HOLMES | $11,725,000 | $181,918,000 |
| 7 | IT'S COMPLICATED | $9,596,070 | $90,147,895 |
| 8 | LEAP YEAR | $7,058,720 | $18,759,890 |
| 9 | UP IN THE AIR | $6,658,000 | $64,031,000 |
| 10 | THE BLIND SIDE | $6,530,000 | $227,739,000 |
| 11 | DAYBREAKERS | $6,300,000 | $25,490,000 |
| 12 | THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG | $4,015,000 | $97,544,000 |
Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.
Tag(s): JCAME, HWAVA, BOELI, LVBON, SPYND, JCHAN