Never underestimate the power of the teenage girl. It was their undying love for romance that finally relegated Avatar to the number two spot for the weekend. Lasse Hallstrom’s Dear John, starring hunky Channing Tatum and Mamma Mia’s Amanda Seyfried, took in an estimated $13.6 million on Friday, its first day in theaters. The film, which has been crushed by critics, soared with its core audience of preteen girls. Avatar, meanwhile, fell approximately 18% from last Friday’s take and after seven weekends at the top spot is now in second place with another $6.2 million. Third place went to the other new wide release, the R-rated revenge drama From Paris With Love with John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Grossing an estimated $3 million for its opening day, the film, from Taken director Pierre Morel, is on track to gross around $9 million for the weekend. Mel Gibson’s Edge of Darkness earned $2.3 million on Friday for fourth place while When in Rome—a romantic comedy that has failed to connect with audiences—grossed another $2 million on Friday. Check back tomorrow for a full report.
Feb 6
2010
03:36 PM ET
Box office: 'Dear John' bests 'Avatar' on its opening day
- Comments 198
- Add comment
Latest News
- 'Idol' gains vs. 'Big Bang': Ratings
- 'Vampire Diaries': Inside dish on big twist
- Adele sings for Anderson Cooper: Watch
- Ellen fans outnumber '1 Million Moms'
- Daniel Radcliffe on 'Watch What Happens'
- Paul McCartney gets star on Walk of Fame
- Madonna stalker escapes from institution
- Melissa McCarthy, hubby land pilot at CBS
Most Commented
Top 5 Most Read
- This Week’s Cover: ‘The Vampire Diaries’ stars talk about the red-hot Damon-Elena-Stefan triangle
- ‘The Vampire Diaries’: Talk tonight’s shocking twist, and find out what’s next from producer…
- 'Grey's Anatomy' recap: Love Is in the ER
- Sir Paul McCartney gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. Finally!
- 'The Vampire Diaries' recap: Cruel Intentions
Poor Avatar. This news is simply devastating…
Buy a bottle of wine and celebrate.
You are an idiot.
lol Yeah, I was wondering when Titanic 2 would finally sink and finally it has yay. No offence to Avatar fans but the box office needs other champs to take their turn as well
well just remember.. Avatar has been beat on friday twice before.. and still won out for the weekend.. but this time Dear John really got a bigger jump start so it’s going to be a close call
I’m not putting any money on Dear John taking the weekend. As you say, it has been beaten on Friday and made up for it on Saturday and Sunday a number of times now.
It was beauty that killed the beast!
LOL!
the weekend is not yet over… everyone go see avatar now!
avatar sucks ass
Your right the weekend isn’t over yet so EVERYONE go see Dear John.
I saw Dear John it’s fantastic.
Not the normal romantic chick flick even has something that guys can learn from in terms of father and son relationships.
GO NOW!
I went 3 times to see Avitar and my husband went twice we both would go see it every weekend in 3D if we could even my mom went and enjoyed Avitar too. Thank you James C. for another movie victory. this entire family Loved Avitar & we’ll pass it on to everyone we can
enough of avatar. everyone has seen it.. come on, take your $2 B and go away now
actually not everyone has seen it – i for one have no desire to see it.
oh man its awesome you should go see it
I haven’t seen it either. Just can’t bring myself to spend the money.
You have to shoot me, before I will watch AVATAR. Avatar is what happens when you marry “Out of Africa” with “Star Trek.” And I am NOT CRAZY enuf to shell 20 dollars just to see some blue aliens going eco-friendly on me. There are already MORE THAN ENUF “Eco-Nuts” on this earth as it is.
You are all idiots.
Fine we’re idiots and what are you gonna do about it? just as I thought, Nothing.
Hey writer Nicole-why did you put in this article that the movie “When in Rome” has failed to connect with audiences. You wrote write next to that, that “When in Rome” made 2 million on friday. That makes it number 5 at the box office. It made over 17 million in the 8 days that its been out. How is that not connecting with audiences MISS SMARTY!!!
Hey writer Nicole-why did you put in this article that the movie
“When in Rome” has failed to connect with audiences. You wrote write next to that, that “When in Rome” made 2 million on friday. That makes it number 5 at the box office. It made over 17 million in the 8 days that its been out. How is that not connecting with audiences MISS SMARTY!!!
Because 17 million in eight days is a rather small amount given the film’s wide release and promotion. Also, when asking that many questions, it would be helpful to utilize the question mark (?). It indicates that you are, in face, asking a question.
Hey, MISS SMARTY KRISTEN. When in Rome made $20,944,734 in 10 days. That is not a small amount!! There are a lot of good movies that have made around 30 million in the whole time that they were out in wide release at the theaters! There is a lot of competition in the movie industry, not all movies make as much money as others are making. But that doesn’t mean that a certain amount is small.
Really? Unseated by Dear John? This is a terrible way to end Avatar’s run…
I’m not sure, but making more than a movie that has been out for 7 weeks cannot be considered a huge victory, and doesn’t make it a good movie
I rub myself to Tatum.
LOL… I dunno… Tatum lost his Sex Appeal once I watched GI JOE… there’s just no redemption for that.
Well dont forget Titanics run was ended but a giant flaming pile of crap too..called Lost in Space
Ha! I’d forgotten that.
Have you seen Dear John before you make a comment like that. I would hope or your just blowing smoke up your own arse.
Honestly, I was pretty surprised that the Dear John showing my friends and I wanted to see sold out. And that the last showing of the night that we ended up getting tickets for was packed, too. I guess people are tired of seeing CGI blue people.
I’m tired of hearing about them
me too
yeah so am i. i dont think avatar was dethroned by a bad movie or something. I saw Dear John and i thought it was amazing and i loved it. And yeah im tired of seeing blue people.
Poor Avatar! God forbid someone end its reign of overrated premium ticket priced nonsense.
Amen!
Amen!!! Way to go channin and amanda I love them both! Going to see this tomorrow morning! $5 matinia (sp)! Can’t wait to cry
Idiots like this is why movies like this keep getting made.
go cry thats what you need to do is go cry.
Seriously is it really a big surprise that Avatar would finally lose its top spot,sad to see it lose to something to stupid.
Just be glad that the crap that beat avatar won’t come close to 2B
What are you going to cry at- the totally unsurprising sad sack story, or Tatum’s high school quality acting?
Would have been better if it was beat by a good movie. How does crap like this get made…..because we have stupid people in this country that keep spending their hard earned money on this crap.
That’s pretty much the same way Avatar became a hit in the first place.
Avatar is actually a good movie Mike you on the other hand is a bad bad person.
amen Mike! as for whatever`s comment that Mike you is a bad person, thats just the sort of bad grammar that lets Cameron get away with POOR scripts!
my money isnt hard earned (altho maybe it is cause i get yelled at by right wing old nutjob (former) aarp members all day)…but id gladly see a movie grounded in reality and about a topic we dont normally see in movies all that often (with the exception of the recent movie “Adam”)
I’m looking forward to seeing Dear John.
A Walk to Remember was also “crushed” by critics, and while it certainly wasn’t Oscar material LOL, I found it to be entertaining. I’m hoping the same thing happens here.
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Hey…just a few weeks ago Avatar was bested by Book of Eli on its opening night. Then Avatar won the weekend…
Book of Eli beat Avatar on that Friday by like 1 or 2 million, not 7 million. Dear John will win the weekend.
Since Avatar was going to drop to number 2 either this week or next week, I’m glad it’s because of Dear John instead of something like The Wolfman.
The reign had to end sometime.
Tweens beat the nerds this week
oh God… here we go people with the loser A
i’m not a tween or a nerd, but A, both of those groups are smarter then you.. because at least they have a life..
There must be a LOT of nerds worldwide then…
Sup A, always glad to read your comments. SO insightful.
@ nice: nice. dear god ? dear john realy? this crap? I like chaning but this film? I prefer avatar again to dear john for tomorow
Did anyone who saw Dear John think it was a good film/worthy of ending Avatar’s reign?
Yes the both have weak plotlines and are terribly overrated
CSPAN footage is worthy of ending Avatar’s “reign,” in January, when it was only up against crap to start with.
It’s a great film worthy of the box office no.1 slot.
It’s better than the normal romantic fcuk out there and deep.
This film is not just for the teen crowd, it hits home with everyone who has ever loved.
That’s why it will win the box office.
I don’t think Valentines Day can even beat this plus Channing Tatum acts really really well in this.
@ damon: I bet you got dumped yesterday. now you go get a life
Why are you on here then? According to the logic I’m guessing you use, commenting on commenting on a comment should be even more sad than commenting on a comment.
Do you enjoy A’s company? I kind of like him getting bashed. If you read any of his other posts you’ll see why. Rise up and dethrone the tyrant of EW comments that is A!