Avatar did have a rerun. It also had the advantage of being a hyped 3D movie in a time when the current 3D tech was still pretty new and it didn't have strong competition upon its release. Let's not act like Avatar got where it did without having any advantages.

Pretty sure Avatar was re-released in theaters. Might've been for 3D only but still.

Speaking of 3D, would it count as cheating since the gimmick raised ticket prices?