I guess this is a joke

Not confirmed yet. TFA has about 60 more days in the BO and it is currently ~160M behind. We'll have to see how its legs behave. Regardless though, once Disney does a 1 month re-release for Episode I-IX before Episode X in 2030, then it'll pass it.

Firstly, it must be recognised that Titanic's lifetime gross covers more than one theatrical release. Therefore if you are doing an apples to apples comparison you have to only count Titanic's original release only. So TFA should surpass that original release without much trouble.

Secondly, Titanic wins the actual attendance race even if TFA wins the money race.

The big question though is why has TFA not met the expecations of many to be the first to the $3 billion club despite easily being the biggest ever box office earner in the USA, and being a popular movie in markets that virtually didn;t exist back in the Titanic and to a certain extent Avatar days?

Titanic and Avatar did something that Star Wars could not. It got people who never go to a movie more than once to go see the movie twice or more. Star Wars had its legion of mega fans who are seeing it every weekend. But they are not a big enough group to help the movie break global records. They did the job in the USA though.

Titanic and Avatar both did something new in the movie world that captured people's imagination in the visual effects department. Titanic with its titanic sets, Avatar with making 3D a big deal and something people just wanted to experience. TFA didn't really bring anyting new to the cinematic table.

Also while Avatar was just a retelling of Fern Gully most people thought it was a fresh story, and so was Titanic. TFA was an old, very familiar story with a new skin. Lots of people, like me, who would have seen TFA more than once if the story had been completely new ended up being demotivated to see it a second time. So TFA did lose some repeat business because of the decision to re-tell A New Hope. It was an interesting thing to do, but ultimately it was a negative for a significant minortity of the audience.

Titanic's first release gross is $1.8 billion ... so The Force Awakens has beaten that easily already. 

If you want to bring up the inflation argument, great ... in that case you have to acknowledge the original Star Wars spanks Titanic and destroys Avatar.

Also TFA was coming off the prequels which were very divisive in their reception, so that did not help TFA. If TFA was the Star Wars movie that had released in 1999 instead of The Phantom Menace ... it likely would have beaten Titanic's record then too. TFA will do it, it will just require a re-release which is fair seeing as how Titanic got one. 

Empire > Star Wars > Titanic = Jedi > TFA > Avatar > Sith > eating vomit > Phantom Menace > Clones

Avatar is probably Cameron's worst film, but it's better than the prequels. I'd say Cameron's work is

Terminator 2 > Aliens > Terminator > True Lies > The Abyss > Avatar

So much hate in this thread... especially when talking about so many great movies.

I think I really liked every movie that has been compared thus far, except the really old ones that I've never seen. I mean, why do people even bring up those movies any more?

Titanic, Avatar were awesome. You're crazy if you don't like them.
All Star Wars movies were awesome and the craziness of comparing TFA to ANH is just silly. Did you not watch PM? Each retells the same overall story with a different Skywalker.

I saw TFA twice in theaters. May go again.. idk April is when movie is supposed to hit bluray/digital so I'll likely wait until then. You know what else I own on bluray? All six SW movies and Avatar. You know what I don't own? Titanic or those refuse to be named before my time movies. Though I did watch Avatar twice in theaters too. Not Titanic. Just once but a few times on dvd.

Honestly?

I don't think Titanic is as good of a movie.

Yes, I am one hell of a comedian... 

Titanic is and always going to be a classic.