LOS ANGELES, Feb 3, 2010 (AFP) - "Avatar" has reached yet another milestone, smashing the North American box office record previously held by the 1997 James Cameron epic "Titanic," Fox studios announced on Wednesday.

By Tuesday the futuristic 3-D blockbuster had racked up some 601.1 million dollars in the United States and Canada, overtaking the 600.8 million dollars that "Titanic" earned.

"We have broken the domestic number" for North America, Fox spokeswoman Aviz Hakhamanesh confirmed.

"Avatar" has also earned nine Oscar nominations, including in the leading categories of best film and best director, as well as several technical achievement categories.

Believed to be the most expensive motion picture ever made, the film and has now shattered all the major box-office records previously held by "Titanic."

The love story on the doomed cruiseliner took in 1.8 billion dollars over the course of its release worldwide, but by last weekend "Avatar" had already scored 2.05 billion dollars, just seven weeks after it was released.