LOS ANGELES ? Canadian filmmaker James Cameron received Friday a star on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame," on the release day of his critically acclaimed and spectacular new blockbuster "Avatar."

A smiling Cameron was applauded by 200 supporters and onlookers on Hollywood Boulevard as he accepted the honor flanked by California governor and former movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger and actress Sigourney Weaver, who he directs in "Avatar."

The star was laid just hours after his new fantasy spectacular "Avatar" opened in North America, already raising some 3.5 million dollars in ticket receipts in the United States alone, according to industry magazine Variety.

Packed with computer-generated imagery and 3D effects, the film is the first feature from 55-year-old Cameron since 1997's "Titanic," which scooped 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.

Cameron's new movie is set in the 22nd century on a distant planet called Pandora. In the heart of an immense tropical forest, strife erupts between an indigenous tribe and an Earth-based consortium pillaging for a precious mineral.

Cameron directed Schwarzenegger in the first two "Terminator" movies (1984, and 1991) and 1994's "True Lies. He previously worked with Weaver in the science fiction classic "Aliens" (1986).

Over 2,380 stars have been laid in the pavement of Hollywood Boulevard to honor the greatest stars of the film, television and music industry.