'Avatar' to break 'Titanic' record

Los Angeles, Jan 25 (DPA) Sci-fi epic "Avatar" was set to break a record of "Titanic" proportions Monday.

The 3-D movie extravaganza was on the brink of passing the $1.843 billion earned by "Titanic" at the box office in 1997 to become the highest grossing film of all time, according to figures released by Twentieth Century Fox.

"Avatar" had earned $1.841 billion by the close of the weekend, enabling it to top the record books for box office takings outside the US. Assuming that it breaks the global record Monday, it will have taken just six weeks to surpass a record that it took "Titanic" some 10 months to achieve.

The milestone will also cement the place of James Cameron, who produced, directed and wrote both "Titanic" and "Avatar", as the most successful moviemaker of all time.

Though "Titanic" holds the box office record and boasts a record 11 Oscar wins, "Avatar" looks unlikely to challenge the Oscar milestone. The movie, which uses modern 3-D technology, has notched awards for best drama and best director at the Golden Globe awards.

But it has performed poorly at other awards ceremonies, most notably at the Screen Actors Guild and Producers Guild awards this weekend where it was shut out of major honours by voting members who form a key constituency in Oscar voting.

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