avatar nearly surpassing the top gross

With a studio-estimated total of $1.033 billion, it has surpassed "The Dark Knight," which left theaters with $1.002 billion, and will soon surpass both "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" ($1.066 billion) and "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" ($1.119 billion). Comparisons accounting for inflation and exchange rates are very complex when calculating ticket sales in more than 100 countries, but it's clear that by any measure the costly "Avatar" is already one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.