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'Avatar' Passes 'Titanic' in Overseas Box Office

 In  Box Office, Foreign, Industry

One of the most phenomenal things about the continued success of "Avatar" isn't just that the film has ascended so high at the box office, but that it has ascended so quickly. In just six weekends, the film has become the second-highest grossing film in US history (not accounting for inflation) and as The Hollywood Reporter points out, is now just two records away from holding down all of the all-time box office titles.

As of right now, "Avatar" has now grossed more overseas than "Titanic." For the past 13 years, "Titanic" has held the record for highest grossing domestic film, highest grossing worldwide film and highest grossing overseas film. "Avatar" now sits at $1.288 billion, $46 billion more than the international haul for "Titanic." The way that the film is continuing to perform indicates that it should pass "Titanic's" worldwide total of $1.8408 billion early this week. The film is now a mere $48 million or so away from breaking "Titanic's" domestic record, although that might take a few more weeks to complete.

It's interesting to look at the international numbers for "Avatar" versus "Titanic." As The Hollywood Reporter points out, two of the key territories for "Avatar," China and Russia, weren't significant factors during "Titanic's" box office reign. The other factor is the importance of 3D ticket sales, which account for nearly 80% of US grosses and 65% of overseas totals. And of course, inflation is also a factor.

Regardless, the fact that "Avatar" has managed to break all of these records in just 45 days is nothing short of spectacular.

Source:The Hollywood Reporter
Photo: Forbes