`Avatar` opens new dimension for profits with $745m box office record
Director James Cameron on course to break the $1bn barrier for the second time
by Mark Hughes and Charlotte BrowneAt first glance it appears to have the makings more of a low-budget sci-fi flick than of a box-office blockbuster. But Avatar, a film about a mythical planet inhabited by huge blue aliens, is set to become one of the the most successful movies of all time.
In less than two weeks, the ground-breaking 3D film has grossed $745m (£460m) and is already expected to be the most successful movie of 2009-10, overtaking even the latest Harry Potter film. And on New Year`s Eve it was given the presidential seal of approval when the Obama family ventured into a shopping mall in Hawaii to watch the movie.
Should it continue its money-making progress at its current rate, the film could become just the fifth in history to gross more than $1bn. The biggest money-spinning movie of all time is Titanic, which made $1.8bn.
Breaking the $1bn barrier would be a particularly remarkable achievement for James Cameron, Avatar`s director, seeing as he also directed Titanic. He would be the first film director to gross $1bn twice.
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