James Cameron's new sci-fi flick, "Avatar," shot to the top of the weekend box office, earning a whopping $73 million in its first weekend.

It's performance blew any other film outta the water.

However, the film cost a reported $400 to make, though its $232 million worldwide total is over halfway to go to cover its costs. Even with its huge debut, it fell short of the record for December debuts, which was set two years ago by Will Smith's "I Am Legend" that took in $77.2 in its first weekend.

"Avatar" stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in a love story amid human-alien conflict on a distant moon in the 22nd century.

The weekend's other wide release, "Did You Hear About the Morgans?", opened at a weak #4 with just $7 million. According to Sony, the bad weather hurt their numbers.

The movie stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant as a couple whose crumbling marriage gets a fresh jolt after they see a murder and are sent into witness protection.

"The Princess and the Frog" fell to #2 in its second week with $12.2 million, while Sandra Bullock's "The Blind Side" fell to #3 with $10 million.

Rounding out the top 5 was "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," taking in $4.3 million.

According to Hollywood.com, overall box office revenues came in at $134 million, up 51.5 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Yes Man" opened at No. 1 with $18.3 million.

That wraps things up this weekend. This week, look out for "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," the Meryl Streep romantic comedy "It's Complicated," and the highly anticipated "Sherlock Holmes" film starring Robert Downey Jr.

This weekend's top 10 is as follows:

1 - "Avatar," $73 million.
2 - "The Princess and the Frog," $12.2 million.
3 - "The Blind Side," $10 million.
4 - "Did You Hear About the Morgans?", $7 million.
5 - "The Twilight Saga" New Moon," $4.4 million.
6 - "Invictus," $4.2 million.
7 - "Disney's a Christmas Carol," $3.4 million.
8 - "Up in the Air," $3.1 million.
9 - "Brothers," $2.6 million.
10 - "Old Dogs," $2.3 million.