'Avatar' again? The Oscar favorite ready to maintain top box office spot

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Set to take the box office for the eighth week running, Avatar is primed to hold its position. If Mel Gibson's suspenseful Edge of Darkness could not beat Avatar last week, John Travolta's spy thriller From Paris With Love is not likely to change the epic's stranglehold on the box office.

Ticket sales in the US declined only 17 percent for James Cameron's 3D blockbuster over last weekend. It earned $30 million, nearly double the closest competition.
With the announcement of Avatar's nine Oscar nominations, ticket sales increased 45 percent, according to Fandango, America's online movie theater sales and showtime source. The sci-fi epic is the website's top ticket-seller in the company's history.

Moviegoers can cast their votes for "2009's Movie of the Year" on Fandango. The winning film will receive the Fandango Fan Choice Award at ShoWest, the world's largest movie theater convention, March 18. http://www.fandango.com/

RC