MUMBAI: Avatar crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office after three weekends in release, making it the fourth-biggest movie of all time.

James Cameron’s epic action adventure earned $1.02 billion, with a collection of $202 million during the New Year holiday weekend.

The only movies ahead of it are Cameron’s Titanic ($1.8 billion),The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.12 billion), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($1.07 billion).

"This is like a freight train out of control," said Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "It just keeps on going."

In India, the film has crossed collections of Rs 67 crores, already making it the second biggest Hollywood film ever in India after 2012. And with 3D screens continuing to go houseful and collections rising steadily across India, the film is well on its way to surpassing collections of 2012.

Avatar is now also the biggest ever film for Fox in India after breaking Titanic’s record collections of Rs 55 crores.

The international total for Avatar  stands at $670.2 million. The film is playing virtually everywhere. It opened in China on Saturday, and will reach Italy on 15 January.