The film marks the second time that director James Cameron has created a frenzy at the theatres. Following Titanic, which earned a total of $1.8 billion, Avatar reached the billion-dollar mark in just over two weeks. This film is also the first in history to collect a billion dollars in such a short time. Some are even predicting that Avatar is on target to reach $4 billion in ticket sales.
Among the other films that have crossed over into the billion-dollar range are The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, with $1.13 billion, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, with $1.06 billion.
During the first weekend of the New Year, Avatar held steady in first place with $68.3 million in box-office sales. Sherlock Holmes was in second place with $38.4 million, bringing the film’s total revenue to $140.6 million in 10 days. The third-place film was Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeekquel, with $35.6 million, followed by It’s Complicated with $18.7 million.
Rounding out the top five films was The Blind Side, which earned $12.7 million over the weekend, followed by Up in the Air, with $12.7 million.