James Cameron’s 3D epic Avatar (pictured) has grossed a $1m in advance ticket sales through London’s British Film Institute IMAX cinema alone. It comes ahead of the film’s release tomorrow (December 17).

At midday today (December 16), the cinema had sold 47,487 tickets for screenings which, according to Twentieth Century Fox, is more advance tickets than any other outlet in the world across all formats – 2D, 3D Digital and IMAX 3D.  The cinema is staying open 24 hours a day for the four days to cope with demand, with screenings taken place at 12.20am and 3.40am.

Avatar has beaten the cinema’s previous advance sales record of 37,929 for The Dark Knight in July 2008.