He may be King of the World, but the odds aren't necessarily in James Cameron's favor. Although the 3D re-release of "Titanic" is expected to gross as much as $25-30 million by Sunday, it might not be enough to unseat current box-office queen, "The Hunger Games."
According to Deadline.com, "Titanic" took in $4.5 million on Wednesday. That's inline with pre-release expectations, but doesn't guarantee Cameron's classic a box-office crown.
Regardless of final results, this is expected to be a big weekend for Hollywood. Many schools and businesses are closed on Friday for Good Friday, meaning parents and children could flock to theaters. The only other major new release besides "Titanic" is "American Reunion," an R-rated comedy that is expected to compete for the runner-up position at the box office.
The original release of "Titanic" earned just ("just") $28 million during its opening weekend in December of 1997. It was a slow-burn success at the box office, however, topping the charts for 15 consecutive weeks, a record that still stands. The film earned $600 million at the domestic box office and another $1.2 billion internationally, for a grand total of $1.8 billion worldwide. It currently sits in the No. 2 slot on the all-time box office list behind Cameron's "Avatar," which earned $2.7 billion worldwide.
"The Hunger Games" is no slouch either. The adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling book series has earned over $258 million since its release last month. "The Hunger Games" is the sixth fastest film to hit $250 million, ahead of both "Titanic" and "Avatar."
[via THR]
PHOTOS: "Titanic" Red Carpet
