Despite a blockbuster post-apocalyptic flick starring Denzel Washington, called "The Book of Eli," it wasn't enough to knock the red hot "Avatar" movie from the box office's top slot ... yes, #1 for the fifth week in a row.

The James Cameron sci-fi epic brought in $41.3 million over the weekend to beat out all films, and closes in on the $500 million domestic mark with $491.7 million.

Now, "Avatar" has surpassed "Stars Wars" on the all-time top-earning North American film box office to land at #2. It's now closing in on "The Dark Knight," who holds the spot #1 with $533.3 million.

Denzel Washington's "Book of Eli" settled for the #2 spot for the weekend, opening with $31.6 million. It is a post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.

At #3 was Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones", earning $17.1 million after expanding nationwide in its sixth weekend showing.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" dropped one spot to #4 this weekend with $11.5 million, while "Sherlock Holmes" lands at #5 with $9.8 million.

The other wide release over the weekend was the family pic, "The Spy Next Door," starring Jackie Chan, George Lopez and Billy Ray Cyrus. It earned $9.7 million to place at #6.

That does it for this week. Next weekend, look out for new releases such as Harrison Ford drama "Extraordinary Measures," the horror thriller "Legion," and "The Tooth Fairy," a comedy starring the Rock.

This weekend's top 10 is as follows:

1 - "Avatar," $41.3 million
2 - "The Book of Eli," $31.6 million
3 - "The Lovely Bones," $17 million
4 - "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," $11.5 million
5 - "Sherlock Holmes," $9.8 million
6 - "The Spy Next Door," $9.7 million
7 - "It's Complicated," $7.6 million
8 - "Leap Year," $5.8 million
9 - "The Blind Side," $5.5 million
10 - "Up in the Air," $5.4 million