Released in 2009 by acclaimed director James Cameron, "Avatar" was the height of movie technology. It combined live actors with advanced animations and 3D technology. The movie is set in the alien world of Pandora and tells the tale of a human mining corporation trying to remove the indigenous people to gain access to a precious element. The movie won three Oscars in the field of visual and artistic effects. As of March 2011, "Avatar" has the distinction of being the highest grossing movie of all time with box office sales of $2,039,472,387.
The third movie of the "Lord of the Rings" series, "Return of the King," was released in 2003 and was a huge hit at the worldwide box office. The final chapter of the story sees the culmination of quests to destroy a magical ring and the defense of the world of man from the forces of evil. The movie won a total of 11 Oscars, including best picture, director and visual effects. It was the third highest grossing movie of all time behind "Avatar" and Cameron's other hit movie, "Titanic." At the box office, "Return of the King" grossed $1,118,888,979 worldwide.
The fourth highest grossing movie of all time was the second installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. "Dead Man's Chest" is a movie of comedic swashbuckling pirates starring Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Depp's character is seeking to evade the fabled Davey Jones who wants to claim his soul. The 2003 movie scored a single Oscar for achievements in visual effects. In worldwide box office sales, "Dead Man's Chest" scored $1,066,179,725.
"The Dark Knight," released on 2008, was the sequel to "Batman Begins" and is the seventh highest grossing movie of all time. The movie sees the continued efforts of Batman to clean up the corrupt and violent Gotham City. It also sees the first appearance of Batman's long time nemesis, the Joker, played by Heath Ledger. Ledger sadly died before the movie's release and was awarded a posthumous Oscar for his supporting actor role. The movie itself won a second Oscar for sound editing. The movie achieved sales at the box office of $1,001,921,825.