Dear John upsets Avatar

Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried's new romantic drama Dear John has ended Avatar's reign at the top of the U.S. box office.

The Lasse Hallstrom tearjerker has opened with a surprise £20.3 million - almost £6.25 million more than James Cameron's sci-fi blockbuster in its eighth week on release.

In that time, Avatar has landed a domestic total of a whopping £393.8 million, making the film the biggest box office hit in American box office history.

John Travolta's new action movie From Paris with Love was a distant third on the new box office list, taking in £5 million in its opening weekend.

Mel Gibson's Edge Of Darkness and family film Tooth Fairy, starring Dwayne Johnson, round out the new top five.

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