James Cameron’s track record as a filmmaker is unparalleled–see our ranking of all his movies. To have directed one of the Top 10 highest-grossing movies would be quite an achievement, but to have directed 3 of them is an almost unimaginable accomplishment. However, it’s an accomplishment that we can finally say the True Lies director has realized. That’s right, the moviemaker is responsible for directing 3 of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time, and the box office intake is a staggering amount of money.
After more than a decade of development, Avatar: The Way of Water finally hit theaters, and the box office numbers, according to CBS News via IMDB, were an impressive $1.7 billion globally, joining two of the filmmaker’s previous works, Titanic and the original 2009 release of Avatar, on the list. Let’s take a look at how those numbers break down via Box Office Mojo.
The list of the highest-grossing movies of all time as of January 10, 2023:
- Avatar | $2,922,917,914
- Avengers: Endgame | $2,797,501,328
- Titanic | $2,201,647,264
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens | $2,069,521,700
- Avengers: Infinity War | $2,048,359,754
- Spider-Man: No Way Home | $1,916,306,995
- Jurassic World | $1,671,537,444
- The Lion King | $1,663,075,401
- The Avengers | $1,518,815,515
- Avatar: The Way of Water | $1,516,558,728
Talk about some serious money. James Cameron has a huge box office draw for moviegoers and theater owners alike. So let's break down how the money fell on his various record-breaking blockbusters.
Titanic
Titanic was released in December of 1997 and was considered a failure before it opened. However, the movie ended its box office run in October 1998, enjoying fifteen consecutive weeks at number one. During that time, the James Cameron period piece depicting the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic had become a pop culture touchstone, and in intervening years, the decade. It became one of the most successful movies of all time. The flick was a beautiful and romantic period piece as well as a thrilling disaster movie, but the excitement wasn’t relegated merely to the silver screen; some of these behind-the-scenes stories are just as exciting. During its eleven-month theatrical run, Titanic brought in $600,788,188 domestically and $1,242,690,261 for a total global box office gross for its original release. After several theatrical re-releases (even in 3D), Titanic’s final numbers sit at $659,363,944 domestically, $1,542,283,320 internationally, and $2,201,647,264 total. Titanic remained the number one highest-grossing movie before Cameron dethroned himself 12 years later.
Avatar
Avatar was released in cinemas on December 18, 2009, and enjoyed roughly the same time in cinemas as Titanic, ending its run in August 2010. After its original run, Avatar brought in $749,766,139 domestically and $1,993,811,448 internationally for a combined worldwide gross of $2,743,577,587, becoming the number one highest-grossing movie of all time. A title the flick still holds today, despite being dethroned by Avengers: Endgame for a short time, only for it to take its place once more after a few theatrical re-releases, which brought the numbers to $785,221,649 domestic and $2,137,696,265 internationally, for a total of $2,922,917,914 worldwide gross.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters on December 14, 2022, almost 13 years to the day as the original trip to Pandora. After only a month in theaters, the second movie in the series has brought in $517,628,365 domestically and $1,195,465,447 internationally, for a total global take of $1,713,093,812.
Combined Box-Office Take
The global intake for all three James Cameron movies gracing the list of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time is–drum roll please!--a astonishing $6.8 billion. I think it is safe to say that Cameron is a filmmaking visionary that should not be reckoned with.
While The Way of Water is a little over a billion dollars behind its predecessor, it has only enjoyed a fraction of the time in theaters as the first Avatar. Will the follow-up 13 years in the making dethrone the original, or will one of the 2023 new movie releases take the spot? Only time will tell. If there are any changes in the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time, CinemaBlend will be sure to let you know.
