AVATAR Breaks $1 Billion, Beats THE DARK KNIGHT


According to Exhibitor Relations, James Cameron’s Avatar has made more than $670 million internationally and more than $352 million in the US in the 17 days since its debut in theaters. The movie’s box office total in now more than $1 billion dollars, which makes it the third highest grossing movie ever next only to Titanic with $1.842 billion and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King with $1.119 billion.

These figures can still be disputed, specifically because IMAX ticket prices are roughly two times more expensive than traditional theater tickets, which means despite reaching the billion-dollar mark, Avatar has half of the audience that Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Cameron’s 2 hours of 3D eye candy is now at Number four worldwide.

The top 10 highest-earning films worldwide are:

  1. Titanic (1997) $1.85bn
  2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.12bn
  3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) $1.07bn
  4. Avatar(2009) $1bn
  5. The Dark Knight (2008) $1.002bn
  6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) $976m
  7. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) $961m
  8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) $938m
  9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) $935m
  10. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) $926m

Totals have not been adjusted for inflation.


Jason Moore
Written by Jason Moore

is a member of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and the Founder/Editor In Chief of SciFi Mafia®