Avatar grossed an estimated $14 million at the North American box office this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. James Cameron’s 3D sci-fier, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang (photo), Laz Alonso, Joel David Moore, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi, has now passed the $700 million mark at the domestic box office. That's a first, though Avatar still trails a number of other movies in terms of ticket sales. The film's total gross currently stands at $706.9 million.
Overseas, Avatar remained at the top of the box-office charts for the 11th consecutive weekend, taking in $36.1 million at 6,535 screens in 70 territories. Its worldwide total is a staggering $2.550 billion. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Avatar's top market this weekend was Japan ($4 million), though France remains the top market overall, with a total of $169 million to date.
Last weekend, Avatar became the #14 all-time movie in that country (in terms of ticket sales), after David Lean's 1957 multiple Oscar-winning war epic The Bridge on the River Kwai. It may have gone up a slot or two by now.
Next weekend, Avatar will likely suffer a significant box-office drop in North America and in most other top film markets, as Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will be replacing it at numerous IMAX and 3D theaters. However, Fox is reportedly planning to rerelease the film later this year.
Photo: Avatar (ILM / 20th Century Fox)