Avatar Trumps Titanic In Box Office Sales To Become Highest Grossing Film Worldwide | Techland

$1,858,866,889

Bravo, James Cameron. You’ve beaten … yourself.

I wonder how good it must feel to be operating the giant, blue alien arm responsible for raking in nearly $2 billion. Like you’re the, oh I don’t know, king of the world? (Couldn’t resist, sorry.)

The official numbers were released today, after last night’s recognition that 3D smash hit Avatar had surpassed film-phenom Titanic in a raw dollar amount, $1.86 billion vs. $1.84 billion. Yikes. Are we surprised? No, not really. Check out our “Freeze Frame” breakdown of Avatar’s best scene.

Given that the amount has not been adjusted for inflation, or the pure fact that folks are shelling out – what? – $17.50 per 3D-IMAX screening, this is in no way a clean victory, but I’d have to bet that 20th Century will gladly take this win, dirty or not.

Still, we can’t ignore that Avatar has only been on screens for six weeks. Let me repeat: Nearly $2 billion in only six weeks. Titanic was in theaters for 41 weeks.

So in true milestone form, please join us as we take a look back at Avatar mania a la Techland:

Aug. 3, 2009

Lev views about 25 minutes of Avatar footage at a special press event. (He’s still not the same.)

Read it: I Saw the Avatar Footage. And Though I Pass Through The Uncanny Valley of Death, I Will Fear No Evil.

Nov. 24, 2009

Trailer is just too simplistic a phrase. Interactive peep show might be closer.

Read it: Avatar Exclusive: First Look At Interactive Trailer

But how did they do it?

Read it: State of the Art (Marketing)

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tereglith

It always angers me when people compare movies in raw dollars. Star Wars’ ticket sales ought to be adjusted from the 1977 dollars. Gone With the Wind ought be ranked adjusted for the yesteryear dollars. Comparing dollar values from years that far apart is completely apples to oranges.
Allie Townsend

So true. I read somewhere that if you adjusted the amounts for inflation Gone With the Wind would be at like $6 billion. It’s insane.
disturbed0ne

Allie: actually a little over $1.5. It’s the top grossing, though, with star Wars and Sound of Music following at $1.3 and 1.06 respectively.
herenotthere

The statistic that I would like to see is money made divided by cost to make the movie. If anyone has figured out the top five for that it would be interesting.
dcfmike

Pretty sure the highest grossing movie percentage wise is the Blair Witch Project because it cost under $20k to make and made tens of millions.
jshillingford

@tereglith – it’s still apples and oranges even if you count simple ticket sales or grosses adjusted for inflation. Gone with the Wind came out in 1939 – uh, no TV, no waiting for it on DVD, in short no competition. Today’s films have to compete with far more competitive entertainment options – and with folks knowing they can own the film in less than six months. Plus, it’s also a little unfair to dismiss Avatar’s gross simply because IMAX 3-D tickets cost so much more. Titanic was ground-breaking because millions of people were willing to pay not once, not twice but multiple times to see it. Avatar is ground-breaking because millions of people are willing to shell out nearly twenty bucks to see it (often multiple times)!

@herenotthere – boxofficemojo does a good job of doing just that kind of comparison (gross – cost) for films where that information is available. I agree that is abetter judge of how well a movie performed.