Propelled by enthusiastic word of mouth and repeat business unrivaled since Titanic, Avatar crossed the $1-billion mark in just its third week at the worldwide box office. Over the New Year's weekend, it brought in an estimated $68.3 million at the domestic box office to bring its North American total to $352.11 million after 17 days. IMAX screenings accounted for $66.4 million of that total, easily setting a record for the ultra-widescreen format. The movie already ranks No. 4 on the list of all-time box-office champs, behind Titanic ($1.84 billion), Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.12 billion, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1.07 billion). Even with Avatar out of the picture, the box office performed remarkably well. In its second weekend, Warner Bros.' Sherlock Holmes shot up $38.39 million and now boasts a gross of $140.68 million. Scampering close behind was Alvin and the Chipmunks with an impressive $36.6 million, bringing its three-week total to $157.35 million. Universal's romantic comedy It's Complicated deserved honorable mention as it took in $18.7 million, down just 15 percent from last weekend. Its two-week total comes to $59.1 million.
