Box Office: 'Star Wars: Force Awakens' Tops 'Avatar' to Become No. 1 Film of All Time in North America
By Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter
It’s official: J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the No. 1 grossing film of all time in North America, not accounting for inflation.
On Wednesday, the Disney and Lucasfilm blockbuster is overtaking the $760.5 million earned by James Cameron’s Avatar. Force Awakens — which grossed an estimated $8 million on Tuesday for a domestic total of $758.2 million — achieved the milestone in only 20 days in release, a remarkable feat.
Released in December 2009, Avatar grossed nearly $750 million in its original, seven-month run, plus another $10 million-plus when it was rereleased in theaters.
However, Force Awakens has a long way to go before eclipsing the $2.78 billion earned worldwide by Avatar. Through Monday, its worldwide tally was $1.54 billion, a staggering number that doesn’t include China, where Force Awakens lands on Jan. 9.
Many box office observers suggest the Star Wars reboot will ultimately gross $2.2 billion-$2.4 billion globally, eclipsing Cameron’s Titanic ($2.19 billion) to become the No. 2 film of all time, not accounting for inflation.
Only two film have earned $700 million or more in North America; Avatar and Force Awakens.
Related: Box Office: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Hits $1.54B Globally, Tops 'Avengers’
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