Avatar Grabs Top Spot

"Avatar" has recently overtaken "Titanic" as the highest grossing film of all time worldwide, according to distributor 20th Century Fox. This comes after six weeks of being shown internationally; the new record being made official on Jan. 25.

Director James Cameron has added to his legend by his latest movie, "Avatar", toppling his past mega-hit, "Titanic", on the highest grossing films of all time list. Cameron's two blockbusters have earned over $4 billion in combined revenue, according the Internet Movie Database, and have solidified him as a top-notch director. It seems patience has paid off for the director, having worked 15 years before "Avatar" was finally completed.

The rank jump of "Avatar" over "Titanic" hasn't gone without controversy. Some argue that the films' earnings should be adjusted for inflation to determine the true champion. If that were the case, “Titanic” would still be in the lead with an inflation adjusted total earnings of $2.5 billion , according to Yahoo Movies.

Additionally, the ticket prices for “Avatar” are much more expensive than “Titanic”’s were. With the film's unique 3-D visuals, “Avatar” is able to charge higher ticket prices. IMAX locations generally charge $15 per ticket and this comprises a large portion of the movie's total sales revenue. Standard movie theaters also slap on extra fees to watch.

Some fans don’t mind shelling out some extra cash for “Avatar”. Mark Conley of Richmond, Ky. said, “The movie really was beautiful....I didn't mind paying extra for it." “The action was just so crazy, you have to see it in theaters. It's just one those you have to see," Conley said.

Mike Morgan of London, Ky. offered a different take on the film. "To me it was just way too long. I mean who really wants to sit in a theater that long?" Morgan said. "The 3-D just gave me a headache." Morgan expressed resentment for the extra fees, “People just don't have extra money to waste."

“Avatar” has not only broken the worldwide record, but on Tuesday, also shattered the domestic benchmark as well. Though it took longer to break the domestic record, this could be attributed to 70% of "Avatar'"'s ticket purchases coming from sales abroad, Yahoo Movies reports. China and Russia have been vital for the film's consistent success.

Similar key foreign markets have sealed "Avatar"'s fate as the highest gross film of all time.