James Cameron tips Avatar to retake box office top spot

But James Cameron reckons he’ll have the last laugh – with the acclaimed blockbuster director saying he expects his 2009 sci-fi adventure to reclaim pole position in the event of a re-release.

Speaking to USA Today, Cameron said, “I think it's a certainty. But let's give Endgame their moment and let's celebrate that people are going to the movie theatre."

And the filmmaker even went so far as to say that even as it stands Avatar should still hold the record.

He said, “I don't want to sound snarky after I took the high road [by offering congratulations].

"But they beat us by one quarter of a percent. I did the math in my head while driving in this morning. I think accountants call that a rounding error."

Talks of a re-release for the film are reportedly on-going with Disney, who own the rights to the franchise following the takeover of 20^th Century Fox earlier this year.

Any re-release would likely tie in with the upcoming sequels, the first of which is expected to arrive in late 2021 – with Sam Worthington reprising his role as former human Jake Sully.

A further three sequels are also in the works, currently scheduled for release in 2023, 2025 and 2027 respectively.