#2 in just 3 weeks: Avatar passes Return of the King in global box office.

In just three weeks, James Cameron's Avatar has become the second-highest grossing movie of all time in worldwide receipts. As of yesterday, the sci-fi epic has grossed $1.131 billion, surpassing the $1.119 billion earned by Peter Jackson's (admittedly superior) Lord of the Rings finale. Whether or not it can find another $711 million to challenge Titanic at this point is unlikely but frighteningly plausible. I'm pretty sure Cameron would be just fine with the order as it is right now. Domestically, the film is at $375 million, with the big long-term test coming this weekend with its first non-holiday-infused weekend since the debut Fri-Sun. Grossing another $225 million domestic in this moviegoing environment is unlikely, even with a relatively weak January slate. But I'm sure Cameron will be more than happy to gross 'just' another $158 million and surpass The Dark Knight as the number 02 domestic grosser of all time. I'll be honest... I never saw this coming. Sure, I was expecting a mega-hit and possibly some Oscar love, but not this, not again. Even after the reviews, I never imagined that James Cameron would pull off the impossible twice in a row. Amazing.

Scott Mendelson