Avatar: The Way of Water overtakes Titanic at the global box office.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
It’s official: Avatar: The Way of Water surpassed Titanic at the global box office with $2.243 billion in worldwide ticket sales, making it the #3 movie of all time, not adjusted for inflation.
James Cameron, who directed both films, lays claim to three of the four highest grossing films in history.
Titanic, which had amassed $2.194 billion in worldwide ticket sales prior to a global 3D re-release earlier this month, now stands at $2.242 billion worldwide.
The all-time list is topped by Cameron’s original Avatar ($2.92 billion), followed by the Russo brothers’ Avengers: Endgame ($2.79 billion), according to Comscore.
Avatar 2’s domestic gross is $657 million, ranking 9th on the all-time list (in North America it still trails Titanic ($672.2 million). Overseas, The Way of Water has a whopping $1.586 billion Amassed $100,000, ranked third at the international box office behind Avatar and Endgame.
The Way of Water is not expected to catch up with Marvel’s Endgame or the first Avatar, which released in 2009.
In an unusual showdown, the 3D re-release of 1997’s Titanic went head-to-head with Avatar: The Way of Water over Super Bowl weekend and ahead of Valentine’s Day. And even if Avatar 2 beat Titanic, the 1997 film showed remarkable staying power.