1. Avatar - $25.2M
2. Sherlock Holmes - $14.9M
3. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - $12.6M
4. It's Complicated - $7.1M
5. The Blind Side - $4.5M
6. Up In The Air - $4.1M
7. The Princess and the Frog - $3.68M
8. Did You Hear About The Morgans? - $1.95M
9. Invictus - $1.48M
10. Nine - $1.45M

Happy New Year to one and all! The USA Box Office started the year on a strong note with the first earning day of the year falling on a Friday, which essentially made the day a repeat of Christmas Day, albeit down a small 6.7%. The Top 10 looks similar to last week.

The box office juggernaut that is AVATAR continues to rumble through theatres as the film takes top spot on its third Friday with an estimated $25.2 million. The film has earned an incredible $309 million after 14 days of release, and is essentially generating the same kind of repeat business that James Cameron's previous film TITANIC did 12 years ago. Although AVATAR is unlikely to stay in the top 10 for six months like TITANIC, it will definitely surpass $400 million at the box office soon.

In second spot is another surprise hit in SHERLOCK HOLMES, which earned an estimated $14.9 million on Friday. Although word of mouth is not so good for the film, it has earned a strong $117.2 million after 8 days of release.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL has had another good day with an estimated $12.6 million. The film only kids seem to love despite bad reviews has earned a healthy $133.3 million domestically and has essentially guaranteed the greenlight of another film in the franchise.

Stay tuned for a more comprehensive wrap-up of the weekend box office in North America for 1-3 January 2010.

The Top 10 at the North American box office took in an estimated total of $77 million for the whole of Friday 1st January 2010.