HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar won the weekend box office for the fourth straight week, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

The picture easily outdistanced the competition with $48.5 million million in sales. It also raised its worldwide gross to $1.34 billion, a mark topped only by Cameron's blockbuster epic Titanic.

The top three box office draws remained unchanged from the previous weekend as Sherlock Holmes finished second at $16.6 million and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel came in third at $16.3 million.

Two debuts rounded out the top five as the vampire thriller Daybreakers ($15 million) and the romantic comedy Leap Year ($9.2 million) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Weekend Box Office

1. Avatar, $48.5 million

2. Sherlock Holmes, $16.6 million

3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, $16.3 million

4. Daybreakers, $15 million

5. It's Complicated, $11 million

6. Leap Year, $9.2 million

7. The Blind Side, $7.8 million

8. Up in the Air, $7.1 million

9. Youth in Revolt, $7 million

10. The Princess and the Frog, $4.7 million