‘Avatar’ box office hits $1.3 billion worldwide

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – “Avatar” ruled the  worldwide box office for a fourth weekend yesterday, creeping  closer to the all-time record held by writer/director James  Cameron’s earlier effort “Titanic,” distributor 20th Century  Fox said.

Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic earned $191.5 million over the  weekend, taking its global total to $1.3 billion.

“Avatar” passed the $1.12 billion tally of “The Lord of the  Rings: The Return of the King” last Wednesday to become the  second-highest worldwide release ever, trailing only “Titanic”  with worldwide sales of $1.84 billion in 1997-1998. Data are  not adjusted for inflation, and “Avatar” sales are also  inflated by premium prices for 3-D screenings.

The North American contribution rose to $429 million, with  weekend sales of $48.5 million propelling the movie to the No.  7 slot in the record books. Fox, a unit of News Corp, said it expects “Avatar” to  challenge the 2008 Batman sequel “The Dark Knight” ($533  million) for the No. 2 slot. “Titanic” holds the U.S.-Canada  title with $601 million.

“Avatar” set a new record for fourth-weekend sales, having  already set new marks for its second and third weekends. The  film is enjoying strong holds every weekend as fans return for  repeat viewings and occasional moviegoers show up to see what  the fuss is all about.

The last film to enjoy four consecutive weekends at No. 1  was “The Dark Knight.” “Titanic” was tops for a record 15  consecutive weekends.

Its biggest challenge next weekend will come from “The Book  of Eli,” a post-apocalyptic action film starring Denzel  Washington. His movies usually open in the $20 million range,  with the notable exception of 2007’s “American Gangster,” which  kicked off with $43 million.

International sales for “Avatar” now stand at $906 million  after a weekend tally of $143 million from 111 countries. Top  markets include France ($100 million), Germany ($73 million)  and Britain ($67 million). It opened in China on Monday,  setting an opening-week record of $40.2 million, Fox said.