As of today, James Cameron's Avatar is officially the highest-grossing domestic film in U.S. history. The film had smashed past the worldwide record on January 25th and a week later became the first film to break a worldwide box office total of $2 billion. Today, Avatar broke Titanic's domestic box office record of $600.8 million by cashing in at $601.2 million in only 47 days. Of course, there are other factors to consider such as the higher ticket price for a 3D screening and 3D IMAX screenings plus the rate of inflation. Adjusted for inflation, Avatar has a long way to go to topple the $1.5 billion domestic box office of Gone with the Wind. It also still has a ways to go to beat Titanic's inflated gross of $957 million.
But when you stop to consider that some people were saying how it would never make back its $500 million budget and would be considered a flop no matter what, it's a stunning accomplishment. Even more astonishing, the film has no signs of slowing down, especially after racking up nine Academy Award nominations yesterday.