It finally happened - Avatar has been dethroned. Today, Star Wars: The Force Awakens blew past the James Cameron opus to assume the title of top-grossing film at the North American box office, bypassing Avatar's $760.5 million gross after only 20 days in theaters. It took Avatar 34 weeks back in 2009.
But James Cameron doesn't need to start crying quite yet, as Avatar still holds the highest global overall gross at $2.8 billion. As of today, Force Awakens is at $1.5 billion worldwide, currently positioned at 4th highest-grossing film in history. That all could change soon, however, as this weekend Force Awakens opens in China, which could add to its overall global numbers very significantly. It's the second-largest film market in the world.
It's also important to keep a little perspective on all this - these numbers don't count for inflation. Once that's factored in, Gone with the Wind is still the top-earner in movie history at $1.7 billion, with the original Star Wars in second place with $1.5 billion. The Force Awakens is actually in 21st place behind perennial classics like The Sound of Music, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial and Titanic.
So history is still looking rosy, with Maria von Trapp and Scarlet Scarlett O'Hara still big earners. But Kylo Ren and the gang have plenty to celebrate today. The Force Awakens is still making bank like a runaway train, and as Princess Leia once exclaimed, "It's not over yet."
So pop open the best Veuve Clicquot, J.J. You've earned it! And send the bill to Disney.
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