Avatar Smashes Box-Office Records

The Christmas box office weekend was bigger business for Hollywood than usual. Heavyweights like Avatar and Sherlock Holmes toppled the competition. The highly anticipated animated film left every other film in the dust with mega box office revenue to the tune of $212 million. After Avatar's release on December 18, 2009, signs strongly indicated that the film was a hit for filmmaker James Cameron, renowned for his epic films. Avatar's initial release appeared bleak as the box office tally came in at a humbling $3.5 million for the first screening, which took place at midnight Friday. This is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the monster-sized budget of $300 million, which was estimated to cost News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio bosses. Now in its second week at the box office, this smash hit animation has taken the top spot away from Harry Potter's latest installment called Harry Potter and the Half Blood-Prince.

Previously, the top-grossing film was the much-anticipated Dark Knight starring Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart and the late Heath Ledger in summer 2008. The Dark Knight reigned supreme in the summer of 2008 with box office taking of $314 million in just 10 days. The records set by the great Dark Knight sequel to Batman Begin directed by Chris Nolan continued to smash its own records. The world of Hollywood dreamed of the possibility of another film creating such amazing box office success. As it turns out dreams for movie execs even come true with the Christmas weekend total take tallying well over the $270 million mark with 3D masterpiece Avartar taking $617 Million worldwide. There is no stopping the epic portions of director James Cameron who brought to the world of film making The Terminator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Second at the top of the heap also respectfully was Sherlock Holmes with $ 62, 390,000. The latest flick by Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch Guy Richie has at long last returned the talented director back to his former box office glory. Recently divorce from the material girl Madonna, Richie has a number two hit on his hands with the successful box office taking fit for the records books as well. Marley and Me made a big box office showing just last Christmas. Fans of Jennifer Aniston got a bit of treat with this adorable film co-starring Owen Wilson. Marley and Me top top box office with takings of $51.7 million over the 4-day holiday weekend beating out the competition reverentially.