Avatar Overtakes Titanic as Top-Grossing Film Ever

Sci-fi spectacular Avatar has surpassed Titanic to become the highest grossing movie of all time, figures from distributor 20th Century Fox show.

Avatar's worldwide takings in just six weeks stand at $1.859 billion, versus Titanic's $1.843 billion.
Director James Cameron holds the remarkable distinction of directing both the world's top grossing movies. Titanic, which starred Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, set a new box office record during its release in 1997-1998. It also won Cameron an Oscar for best director. Avatar - Cameron's latest epic - won two Golden Globes last week, and is expected to garner an Oscar nomination next month. Earlier this month, it became the fastest movie ever to achieve $1 billion in ticket sales around the world, and took over second place from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It has proved a worldwide sensation, dominating the box office from North America to China and Russia. The science-fiction adventure, about a disabled marine who infiltrates a race of giant blue aliens, mixes live action with digitally-created performances. It was reportedly the most expensive film ever made, with a budget of at least $300 million.

(Source - BBC)