Avatar to Overtake Titanic?

The years-long wait, intense budget, and tireless CGI work seems to be paying off for James Cameron as "Avatar" hotly contests "Titanic" as the highest-grossing movie in history. Cameron's earlier work holds the title, weighing in at $1.84 billion worldwide. "Avatar's" gross lags behind by a little more than $230 million, but given that the movie takes in another $20 million from overseas each day, "Titanic" might have a run for its money.

Ranked number one at the box office (trailed by "Book of Eli" at no. 2, and Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" at no. 3), it has already broken the speed record for grossing $500 million in U.S. box offices alone. Chris Nolan's "The Dark Knight" held the old record, drawing $500 million in 45 days. "Avatar took just 32.

Cameron's latest success story bears more than one resemblance to his former masterpiece. "Avatar" won best drama at the Golden Globes, just as "Titanic" had twelve years ago. With the skyrocketing success of his newest work, the filmmaker's prospects for further triumph at the Academy Awards are all but a sure thing.