The Wintertime Derby

Now with skin-bracing Add On.

Fox's animation hybrid known as Avatar got itself bumped out of the top position on Friday night, as weakly-reviewed Dear John grabs the top rung of the big, gold ladder. The Nikkster has the end-of-week tally sheet:

1. Dear John (Relativity/Sony) NEW [2,969 Theaters] Friday $13.8M, Est Weekend $32M

2. Avatar (Fox) Week 8 [3,000 Theaters] Friday $6.1M, Est Weekend $23M, Est Cume $629.0

3. From Paris With Love (Lionsgate) NEW [2,722 Theaters] Friday $3.0M, Est Weekend $7.5M

4. Edge of Darkness (Alcon/Warner Bros) Week 2 [3,066 Theaters] Friday $2.3M (-58 from a week ago), Est Weekend $7M, Est Cume $27.3M

5. When in Rome (Disney) Week 2 [2,456 Theaters] Friday $2.0M (-53), Est Weekend $6.0, Est Cume $21.4M

6. Tooth Fairy (Fox) Week 3 [3,218 Theaters] Friday $1.6M, Est Weekend $7.0M, Est Cume $34.8M

7. Book of Eli (Warner Bros) Week 4 [2,820 Theaters] Friday $1.5M, Est Weekend $4.5M, Est Cume $81.8M

8. Crazy Heart (Fox Searchlight) Week 8 [819 Theaters] Friday $1.07M, Est Weekend $4M, Est Cume $11.5M

9. Legion (Sony) Week 3 [2,339 Theaters] Friday $1.06M, Est Weekend $3.3M, Est Cume $34.5M

10. Sherlock Holmes (Warner Bros) Week 7 [1,805 Theaters] Friday $790K, Est Weekend $2.1M, Est Cume $202.1M

You will note that Fox's other animation hybrid, Alvin and the Chipmunks Part Deux, has departed the Top Ten ...

Add On: At the wire, Dear John dethrones Avatar, collecting $32.4 million to the blue Pandorans' $23.6 million.

Alvin and the Chipmunks(#14), now owns $212.2 million while 20th place The Princess and the Frog has earned $101 million.