The romantic drama "Dear John" has knocked the sci-fi blockbuster "Avatar" off its No. 1 box-office perch.

"Dear John" debuted with $30.5 million, nudging "Avatar" to second-place with $22.9 million.

"Avatar," which had been No. 1 for seven weekends, raised its revenue records to $639.3 million domestically and $2.2 billion worldwide.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations,

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Game on! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are taking legal action against the British tabloid News of the World for its story last month that alleged the couple were working out details of a split.

"The News of the World has failed to meet our clients' reasonable demands for a retraction of and apology for these false and intrusive allegations which have now been widely republished by mainstream news outlets," a lawyer working for the couple in London said in a statement. "We have advised them to b… Continue

A consortium led by Walt Disney Co. is in advanced talks to buy into China's largest in-bus digital media and advertising company, a deal that could offer the U.S. entertainment giant a new platform to promote Mickey Mouse in China, three sources told Reuters.

Google Inc., the world's No.1 Internet search company, which threatened to quit China last month over censorship and hacking concerns, was among investors in the Disney-led consortium, the sources said on Monday.

The conso

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A sci-fi love story has given way to an earthbound romance at the box office, livening up typically slow times at theaters over Super Bowl weekend.

Released by Sony's Screen Gems banner, "Dear John" debuted as the No. 1 movie with $32.4 million, knocking off "Avatar" after seven weekends in first place, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"It is very cool to know that it was our movie that audiences just totally embraced and made No. 1 for the weekend," said Rory Bruer, head o

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Miami's South Beach was swamped with celebrities during Super Bowl week. Whether they were hanging out on South Beach, mingling together at intimate parties or participating in some of the more high-profile celebrity events, they often times outshined the football players during the sport's biggest showcase.

Here's a look at some of the more notable things seen, heard and observed leading up to Sunday's Super Bowl.

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(MORE THAN) FASHIONABLY LATE: The Black Eyed Peas wer

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A powerful storm slammed the U.S. mid-Atlantic on Friday, threatening record snowfall in a region heavily dependent on home heating oil and natural gas supplies.

Forecasts calling for 20 to 30 inches (50 to 76 cm) of snow and near-blizzard conditions from Virginia to southern New Jersey prompted U.S. government offices in the Washington area to close their doors four hours early.

President Barack Obama, who previously has made fun of the reaction in Washington to small amounts of snow, was not… Continue

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook the North Coast today in the area where a stronger temblor hit last month, but so far there are no reports of injuries or damage.

The quake hit at 12:20 p.m. and was centered about 30 miles offshore, northwest of the small town of Petrolia in Humboldt County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Residents said they could feel the shaker, but it was nowhere near as disconcerting as the magnitude 6.5 quake that struck the region Jan. 9.

That quake was center… Continue

Two, two, two shows in one! The two-hour season premiere of Lost, with its dual tracks of parallel world yarns, was a twin-patty, double-pounder factory burger of story, slathered with saucy ideas, drippy with messy emotions, and chewy with mystery meat. It was a delicious meal for this ravenous eight months-starved Lost fan, and while it wasn't easy to digest (check that: I'm still digesting it), I felt properly served. Where to start? Should I sketch how the premiere was an elaborate metaphori… Continue

President Barack Obama's proposed budget, stuffed with initiatives to spark jobs and the economy, is getting an early test with lawmakers weary of record deficits, wary of his tax ideas and nervous about winning re-election in November.

Obama's proposed 5,000-per-job tax credit for companies that hire more workers could come up for a vote in the Senate as early as the end of the week - if senators can work out the details.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Obama's budget director, Peter Orsz… Continue

Did anybody notice that, late in Sunday's telecast of the Grammy Awards show, the sound went on the fritz?

The mikes went dead for seconds on end, over and over, like some kind of short circuit no one could fix.

This apparent technical snafu seemed to crop up during the big production number with rap artists Eminem, Lil Wayne and Drake, who ended up miming as much as singing for the TV audience.

More than coincidence?

Not to any of the 25 million viewers wondering why certain recording stars… Continue