HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — It took a tear-jerker to finally knock off James Cameron's sci-fi mania at the box office.

Dear John, a love story starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, debuted as the No. 1 movie over the weekend with $32.4 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The strong opening knocked Avatar from the top spot, a position Cameron's epic had held for seven straight weeks.

Dear John's total was also a record opening for Super Bowl weekend, topping the $31.1 million debut for 2008's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.

Avatar, which received nine Academy Award nominations, is still going strong as it brought in $23.6 million to finish second.

John Travolta's new action thriller, From Paris With Love, debuted in third place at $8.1 million.

Weekend Box Office

1. Dear John, $32.4 million.

2. Avatar, $23.6 million.

3. From Paris With Love, $8.1 million.

4. Edge of Darkness, $7 million.

5. The Tooth Fairy, $6.5 million.

6. When in Rome, $5.5 million.

7. The Book of Eli, $4.8 million.

8. Crazy Heart, $3.7 million.

9. Legion, $3.4 million.

10. Sherlock Holmes, $2.6 million.