DearJohn-Board - No Amanda Seyfried naked(“Yo, girl, wanna see me karate kick this board in half?  Cause I would.  For you.”)

In a surprise move, Avatar‘s seven-week reign at the top of the box office was finally stopped by Dear John, the heartwarming Nicholas Sparks tale of love between a pretty young Mormon and a mumbly wigger.

“Dear John: I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re not like the other boys at Bible college.  Every night I thank Jesus for making Sheena drag me to that male strip club where you were working.  Yours in Christ, Sugar plum.” [covered with perfume and glitter]

“Yo, da feelin mutual, you hella smoove.  You str8-up complete me, gurl. Holla atcha boy, C-Tatez.” [banana hammock enclosed]

If you’ll remember, The Dark Knight was on top for four weeks before being stopped by Tropic Thunder.  If it seems more fitting to be stopped by another summer blockbuster, that’s because Dark Knight opened in July, whereas Avatar‘s run took it into the traditional January/February crappy-movie dumping ground.   But of course, don’t cry for Avatar, which has now earned $630 million domestic, and $2.2 billion worldwide, and took the highest-grossing eighth weekend ever, edging out Titanic.  Titanic‘s three-month run at the top in 1998 was eventually ended by the Joey-from-Friends-toplined Lost in Space, which is the only reason anyone would ever bring up 1998′s Lost in Space.  It’s unclear whether the same fate awaits Dear John, but at the very least, its existence guarantees it’ll be easier to fall asleep on your next plane flight in a few months.

Film Weekend Per Screen Total
1 Dear John $32,400,000 $10,913 $32,400,000
2 Avatar $23,600,000 (-24.6%) $7,867 $630,093,000
3 From Paris with Love $8,120,000 $2,983 $8,120,000
4 Edge of Darkness $7,005,000 (-59.3%) $2,285 $29,097,000
5 Tooth Fairy $6,500,000 (-35.0%) $2,020 $34,333,000
6 When in Rome $5,504,000 (-55.4%) $2,241 $20,899,000
7 The Book of Eli $4,835,000 (-45.7%) $1,715 $82,163,000
8 Crazy Heart $3,650,000 (+58.1%) $4,457 $11,188,000
9 Legion $3,400,000 (-52.6%) $1,454 $34,678,000
10 Sherlock Holmes $2,630,000 (-41.8%) $1,457 $201,579,000

[via CHUD, Box Office Mojo]