Well, ladies and gentlemen, it has happened. Frozen has passed the $1 billion mark worldwide - ahead of expectations, and just in time for the Academy Awards.

This weekend, Frozen stayed in 8th Place at the domestic box office (and has now been in the Top 10 for the longest time for any movie since Avatar), and grossed around $3.6 million. That's way higher than the $2 million analysts estimated, and this is undoubtedly from families and critics wishing to watch the movie one final time before the Academy Awards tonight. Worldwide, it earned another $12 million more, which just barely gives it enough to pass $1 billion!

Let's put this into context. Only one other animated film, Toy Story 3, has grossed $1 billion worldwide. Only 17 other films have overall, and of those, only four (Avatar, Titanic, Jurassic Park, and Alice in Wonderland) were "original" films; that is, they did not belong to a franchise of other films. This means Frozen's achievement is more than just another number; it shows how much people REALLY enjoy this movie. It's still in theaters worldwide, still racking up money, and people still flock to the theaters to enjoy it despite it now being available for digital download. Combine that with the attention it will get at tonight's Academy Awards, and the fact that the film has yet to open in Japan (its final,and rather large, market), the $1 billion mark is only the latest for Frozen. Expect it to eventually pass Toy Story 3 to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and if it can gross just a bit more than that, it will be among the Top 10 films, period. How cool is that?

Other Box Office information

The Lego Movie finally ended its reign and dropped down to 3rd Place this weekend (courtesy of Liam Neeson thriller Non-Stop and Easter-themed Son of God), grossing around $21 million domestically. Combined with its earlier intake, the film has grossed around $209 million overall domestically, and just over $300 million worldwide. It probably won't keep up its huge momentum like Frozen has, but it is so far the largest-earned film of 2014, animated or not. Expect it to keep up its steady gain and close at around $300 million domestically/$600 million worldwide.

The Wind Rises, a Japanese anime film that is up against Frozen for tonight's Oscar for Best Animated Film, reached its first wide release in the United States this weekend, extending to 496 screens. (A wide release is usually upwards of 1000 screens, but this film has been labeled an exception by Disney, who owns the distribution rights.) It performed decently and took in $1.6 million overall. That may not seem like much, but this is just its first available weekend in American theaters, and even then, it reached 13th Place at the box office. Combined with its earlier, limited release gross, it has about $2 million in the United States, and from its run in Japan last year, it has earned around $114 million worldwide - and that's huge for an anime film. Expect it to gain a bit more attention after the Oscars, whether it wins or loses its award.

Finally, The Nut Job slunk down to 20th Place at the box office. It only grossed $642,000 this weekend (that's less than a million, for those of who who failed math in 2nd Grade). It has now grossed about $60 million overall in the United States, and as was stated last week, in order for it to 'break even" it has to gross at least $84 million. That's not going to happen, unless it suddenly gains another 40% of its current gross in the next week or two. If it can even get to $65 million right now, that would be a miracle.

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I'll be writing another news article tonight after the Academy Awards. Most analysts are predicting a Disney sweep (Frozen winning both its awards, and Mickey Mouse short Get a Horse! winning the Best Animated Short Oscar). But, as is often the case in show business, anything can happen. So see you then!