Titanic

All-time blockbusters

Why it was a blockbuster

It was the first film to reach $1 billion, grossing over $1.84 billion in its first run, and was the highest-grossing film of all time until Avatar. Re-releases took it to $2.264 billion, the second film to pass $2 billion. As of 2026 it is the fifth-highest-grossing film ever. It also won 11 Oscars from 14 nominations.

James Cameron wrote, directed and co-produced it, shooting footage of the real wreck in 1995. At $200 million it was the most expensive film made at the time, and Fox brought in Paramount to share the cost. Scale models, computer effects and a full reconstruction of the ship at Baja Studios recreated the sinking. Cameron's interest came from his fascination with shipwrecks; he felt a love story set against the loss of life would carry the disaster's emotional weight. The modern scenes were shot aboard the research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, which he had used as a base while filming the wreck, and filming ran from July 1996 to March 1997.

Awards

• 70th Academy Awards: 11 wins from 14 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, tying the records for most nominations (with All About Eve) and most wins (with Ben-Hur).

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