Avatar claims top spot at UK box office Shortly after topping the US box office chart in its opening week, Avatar has repeated the feat on this side of the Atlantic.

Despite heavy snow and icy conditions keeping many UK people away from the cinema, James Cameron’s new film raked in £8.5 million to finish well ahead of the second best movie, St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold.

The boarding school sequel took £1.6 million, while the Disney adaptation of A Christmas Carol fell to third place with £1 million after seven weeks on the chart.

Avatar is set on a distant planet in the 22nd century and is thought to have cost about $400 million (£250 million) to produce, making it one of the most expensive films of all time.

However, its early performance at the cinema indicates that the sci-fi epic may go on to justify the hefty price tag and inspire a number of movie T-shirts.

The Guardian’s film blog notes that Avatar has enjoyed the third biggest opening of the year, behind Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and New Moon, the second film in the Twilight Saga.
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