tops box office

James Cameron's "Avatar" is on a course to sink "Titanic" at the box office. FILE - In this file film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, the character Neytiri, voiced...

FILE - In this file film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, the character Neytiri, voiced by Zoe Saldana, right, and the character Jake, voiced by Sam ...

*As expected, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" has taken over the box office with a Wednesday total of $7.4 million in the U.S. and $12.7 million overseas -- a worldwide sum of $20.1 million on its first full day in theaters.

Distributor Sony said the $7.4 million domestic haul is the best ever for a movie on a Wednesday in October, reports the AP.

"This Is It" was easily the No. 1 film domestically, coming in ahead of the $1.5 million gross for "Paranormal Activity," last weekend's top box-office earner.

Low-budget fright film "Paranormal Activity" scored a kill over Saw VI at the weekend box office, earning $22 million.

Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau buddied up for the weekend's top movie as 'Couples Retreat' debuted with $35.3 million

The Final Destination scared off a challenge from Halloween II to claim top honours at the weekend box office in North America.

District 9, a gritty, low-budget space alien movie set in South Africa with a cast of unknowns, opened as Hollywood's No. 1 film, grossing more at the box office its first weekend than it cost to make.

Tom Hanks' new film topped the worldwide weekend box office, but it fell far short of its much-hyped predecessor "The Da Vinci Code."

High School Musical heartthrob Zac Efron graduated to the big leagues at the North American box office on Sunday as his new comedy crushed a weighty thriller starring Russell Crowe.

The Disney family adventure Race to Witch Mountain took the top spot with $25 million, while Watchmen saw its weekend box office take fall 67 percent from a week earlier to $18.1 million.