Thanks to astronomic word-of-mouth, inflated 3-D ticket prices, and consecutive holiday weekends that began on a Friday, Avatar continued its seemingly unstoppable climb to the Hallelujah Mountains of U.S. and global box office. According to estimates from Hollywood.com Box Office, James Cameron’s sci-fi opus grossed $68.3 million over New Years weekend, a tiny 10 percent drop from Christmas weekend for a $352.1 million domestic total — easily the biggest third weekend in the U.S. ever (2002′s Spider-Man had held the record with $45 million). Much more impressively, in just 17 days, Avatar has surpassed $1 billion in global box office. To put that in perspective, it took The Dark Knight pretty much its entire theatrical run just to make it to that milestone. (Another landmark: $66.4 million of Avatar‘s worldwide total is from IMAX theaters, a record for the mega-screen format.)

Avatar wasn’t the only film to ring in the new year with serious box-office bounty, either. Sherlock Holmes sleuthed out an elementary $38.4 million for second place, a 41 percent drop for $140 million total. Hot on its heels, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel chirped to $36.6 million, dropping just 25 percent for $157 million total and third place. (So what will the inevitable third film be called? The Second Squeakquel? The Threakquel?) It’s Complicated fell a bite-sized 15 percent, cooking up $18.7 million for fourth place and $59.1 million total. And in fifth place, The Blind Side actually improved upon its total last week, rising 8 percent for $12.7 million and $209.1 million total. (As EW noted yesterday, this means star Sandra Bullock is the only actress ever to have a film marketed on her star power alone pass $200 million in U.S. box office.)

In fact, with no major debuts to steal away fresh audiences, it was simply a fabulous weekend to be in movie theaters, period. Up in the Air pitched down an imperceptible 3 percent with $11.3 million and $45 million total. The Princess and the Frog hopped up 11 percent with $10 million and $86 million total. Even certified turkey Did You Hear About the Morgans? was up 4 percent, bringing in $5.2 million for a (still woeful) $25.6 million total.

Overall, the top ten box office was up 70 percent from last year, when Marley and Me was barking its way into filmgoers’ hearts.

Image credit: WETA

It took director James Cameron’s Titanic 44 days to reach the $300 million mark. Twelve years later, Cameron’s Avatar has reached that same milestone nearly three times faster, in just its 15th day of release. The 3-D epic grossed an estimated $25 million on New Years Day, pushing the film’s domestic total to $308.8 million. If that pace holds, expect the film to shatter Spider-Man‘s $45 million record for the biggest ever third weekend in theaters.

With no major releases this weekend, the rest of the box office is shaping up pretty much like last weekend. Sherlock Holmes landed in the second spot, with an estimated $14.9 million; Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel took third with $13 million; and It’s Complicated made $7.1 million for fourth.

Finally, Sandra Bullock rang in the new year by also making box-office history. With The Blind Side grossing $4.5 million on Friday for fifth place, Bullock is now the only actress ever to have a film marketed with her name solely above the title (i.e. based on her star power alone, and not a franchise or tentpole picture) pass the $200 million mark in domestic gross.

Click here for the full weekend box office report.