Ex-couple James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow have dominated the Oscar nominations with their respective movies Avatar and The Hurt Locker.

Two Wellington-based productions from Weta are among the 10 nominations for best picture, the first time the number for Oscar contention have been increased from the usual five.

Avatar is up against Sir Peter Jackson’s production District 9, both of which used Weta’s New Zealand-made special effects.

Spectacular special effects film Avatar has already recovered more than half its budget, excluding marketing costs, at the world box office.

According to an estimate by Hollywood.com, Avatar has grossed about $US232.2 million against a budget said to be $US300 million, making it the most expensive film ever made.