He exclaimed "I'm the king of the world!" when he won the best director award at the 1998 Oscars.
Still, he is.
"Avatar: The Way of Water" became the 7th highest grossing movie of all time over the weekend with over $1 billion worldwide.
The sixth biggest movie of all time is "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
"Avatar" and "Titanic" are the last three scripted movies in the top 10, which have been in the top 10 for 30 years. He took a long break between movies to focus on his passion for diving.
"The Way of Water" has a long way to go to catch the first "Avatar," which is the biggest movie of all time with over $2 billion. It is the highest grossing movie of the year at the global box office.
The third, fourth, and fifth installments of "The Way of Water" are scheduled to be released in four years.
During an interview on "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" last week, he said he knew what he would be doing for the next six or seven years. We're going to be alright.
He may have to train someone else to make the sixth and seventh entries.