This weekend marks the return of Mel Gibson to the big screen after a seven year absence with Edge of Darkness. The only other film opening in wide release is romantic comedy When in Rome starring Kristen Bell. The real question is whether Avatar can fend off Mr. Gibson and remain the #1 film for the seventh weekend in a row. I think it’s going to be a tight race. Take a look. 

To no one’s surprise, Avatar continued to be #1 for the sixth weekend in a row, fighting off a trio of newcomers with ease. The 3-D adventure flick was the first film since Titanic to rule the charts for a six week period. Titanic managed to stay at top for a record 15 frames but Avatar won’t be able to match that. Action horror film Legion opened well in second place, Dwayne Johnson’s latest family film The Tooth Fairy opened disappointingly in fourth while Extraordinary Measures starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser fizzled in seventh. Take a look.

A trio of bad movies will attempt to knock Avatar off its throne this weekend and will fail miserably. Family comedy The Tooth Fairy starring Dwayne Johnson is hoping to find some money under its pillow while action flick Legion hopes to avoid an apocalypse at the box office. This weekend’s other new release, weepy, family drama Extraordinary Measures starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser has the least chance of making any impact at the box office.

Once again the blue skinned Na’vi dominated the box office as Avatar was the #1 film for the fifth weekend in a row. The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington was the first film to even come close to unseating the 3-D adventure film and Avatar still outpaced Eli by $10M. Despite being thrashed by critics and performing modestly in limited release, Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones came in third place after expanding into theatres nationwide. The weekend’s final new release, The Spy Next Door opened quietly in sixth place. Take a look. 

Two new releases The Book of Eli and The Spy Next Door open over the 4 day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and The Lovely Bones expands nationwide after playing in limited release for a month. Can any of these films knock box office giant, Avatar out of the #1 spot? I highly doubt it.

Avatar dominated the charts this weekend for the fourth time in a row, collecting more than the weekend’s three new releases combined. Holiday leftovers Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks stayed put in 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively leaving this weekend’s biggest new film Daybreakers with a 4^th place debut. Leap Year starring Amy Adams failed to crack the top 10 coming in at #6, while the latest comedy offering from Michael Cera, Youth in Revolt, barely registered coming in at #9. Take a look.

The New Year begins at theatres with three new releases; vampire flick Daybreakers, romantic comedy Leap Year and coming of age comedy Youth in Revolt. Overall, these films shouldn’t have all that much impact on the box office as Avatar will invade the #1 spot for the fourth weekend in a row and holiday holdovers Alvin and the Chipmunks, Sherlock Holmes and It’s Complicated will continue to dominate the top 10. Take a look.

Once again, Avatar was the #1 choice for moviegoers this weekend. James Cameron’s 3-D epic has been the #1 movie for three weekends in a row now and shows no signs of slowing down. As of this weekend, Avatar has become the fifth film of all time to reach a worldwide gross of $1 Billion. The rest of the top 10 looks pretty much the same as it did last weekend with a couple of minor changes. Take a look. 

Happy New Year! This weekend at the box office audiences will be feasting on leftovers as no new releases are hitting multiplexes. After the gigantic Christmas frame, things should cool down a bit, but still, this will be a good box office weekend as those who haven’t had the chance to see Avatar or Sherlock Holmes or any number of big hits dominating the charts right now will be able to come out now that the stress of the holidays are behind them.

A list of the biggest box office hits of the year 2009. Although the year is over, three big hits just opened and will be making their way on to this list. The list will be updated sometime in January when all the dust clears.