Today in Film History (December 19th, 1997): "Titanic" is Released to Theaters!

On December 19th, 1997, the James Cameron classic, "Titanic" starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet was released in the United States. At the time, "Titanic" was the most expensive production ever made, with a budget of $200 million. Filming took place from July 1996 to March 1997. "Titanic" premiered in Tokyo on November 1st, 1997, and was released in the U.S. on December 19th. "Titanic" initially grossed over $1.84 billion, which made it the first film to gross over $1 billion. It was the highest-grossing film of all time, until Cameron's own "Avatar" surpassed it in 2010. "Titanic" was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, and won 11, tying "Ben-Hur" (1959) for most Academy Awards won by a film. A number of re-releases have increased the films worldwide box office gross to $2.264 billion, making it the second film to gross more than $2 billion worldwide after "Avatar".