World-beater "Avatar" stays top UK earner

Director of the movie James Cameron and his wife Suzy Amis pose at the premiere of ''Avatar'' at the Mann's Grauman Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California December 16, 2009. The movie opens in the U.S. on December 18.

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuter) - "Avatar," now the biggest international release of all time, extended its run at the top of the British box office, taking another five million pounds, Screen International said on Tuesday.

After a relatively quiet start in the UK, the 3D space extravaganza gained ground steadily and has so far taken 57.4 million pounds in its six-week British run.

Avatar became the biggest-ever international release during the weekend and is on the verge of claiming the worldwide crown of director James Cameron's "Titanic," which includes North American receipts, distributor 20th Century Fox said on Sunday.

Guy Ritchie's remake of "Sherlock Holmes" with Robert Downey Jr. as the great detective and Jude Law as Dr Watson, stayed in second spot, just above "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" which was unchanged at three.

George Clooney as a corporate frequent flyer facing a travel clampdown was up one at four while "It's Complicated," with Meryl Streep as a restaurateur at the apex of a love triangle, slipped a spot to fifth.

The re-release of Disney's "Toy Story 2" was new at six, just above "The Book of Eli," which was down one place with Denzel Washington as a man on a mission in post-apocalyptic America.

Vampire movie "Daybreakers," with Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe, was down one place at eight.

Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in war movie "Brothers" were new at nine, ahead of another newcomer, French gangster movie "A Prophet."