Avatar Blasts Competition At U.S. Box-office

James Cameron's computer-generated epic Avatar has blown away box-office competition - after cinema goers braved blizzard conditions across the U.S. boost ticket sales to $73 million.

The human-alien love story, starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, took in another $159.2 million overseas in its opening weekend.

The film's worldwide total comes in at $232.2 million - a boost for Cameron and studio bosses at Twentieth Century-Fox, who spent an estimated $400 million to make and market the film.

Avatar pushed last week's number one movie, Disney's The Princess and the Frog, to second place. The animated film raked in $44.8 million.

Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock's The Blind Side slipped from two to three, with $10 million in earnings in its fifth week.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant's comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans? opened up at number four with $7 million.

Vampire franchise The Twilight Saga: New Moon also fell from four to five, taking in another $4.4 million, which brings the film's five-week total to $267.3 million.