James Cameron scripts history as 'Avatar' surpasses 'Titanic's global collection
Avatar: The Way of Water has turned ace filmmaker James Cameron into a record-breaking director, as the sequel movie, released on December 16, 2022, is still unstoppable at the international box office. In a historic feat achieved by the film's director, The Way of Water's total worldwide collection stands at an all-time high of $2.243B, surpassing Cameron's own iconic film Titanic's collection of $2.242B.
Why does this story matter?
Cameron's mastery of technical skills, compelling storytelling, and commitment to authenticity, has contributed extensively to his reputation as the undisputed king of the box office. Notably, the ace filmmaker now holds the distinction of directing three of the top four highest-grossing movies in history. The first spot is retained by the original Avatar with $2.9B, followed by Avengers: Endgame in the second spot ($2.8B).
'Avatar' became the third highest-grossing film of all time
Cameron's Avatar, overtaking his own film Titanic (1997), has claimed the third spot on the list of the highest-grossing films of all time at the worldwide box office collections, sending Titanic to the fourth spot. The Way of Water has also surpassed 2015's Jurrasic World at the overseas domestic box office, to become the ninth-biggest film of all time, with current total of $657M.
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Will 'Avatar' overtake 'Titanic' at the overseas domestic box office?
Titanic delayed the inevitable, as it was re-released in theaters on February 10, to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which has led to an increase in its collections. Avatar 2 seems unlikely to beat Titanic ($671.2M) in the overseas domestic market to claim the seventh spot and will have to get re-released after a period of time to achieve the feat probably.
'Avatar's' success wasn't always assured considering the high production cost
Avatar 2 took to theaters after almost a decade after its first part. The ace director, who has delivered successful movies before, was not sure of this film's success. Earlier in an interview, Cameron admitted that the film would need to be the third or fourth-highest-grossing film in history to be counted as a success, considering its production cost, which is reportedly over $400M.
Cameron's fantasy flick received four nominations at this year's Oscars
The fantasy flick starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet has received four nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including the Best Picture nomination. In the recently held Visual Effects Society (VES) awards, Cameron's directed Avatar 2 received nine awards, against a record 14 nominations in the ceremony, shattering the old VES nomination record, set by the original Avatar.
