Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 2 has become the highest grossing film of 2011.

The final film in the boy wizard franchise, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, has made the most money for the year so far in all three box office categories: domestic, international and worldwide, Warner Bros has announced.

The seventh Harry Potter movie, which has been open for less than a month, had grossed a total of 1.146 billion dollars (£705 million) as of Monday August 8, making it the third highest grossing film of all time behind James Cameron's Avatar and Titanic.

Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros, said: "This is another incredible milestone for the last chapter of this historic film series, and for the Harry Potter franchise as a whole. In a crowded and very competitive summer, it is a tribute to both the film and the people behind it that moviegoers are still turning out to enjoy it - whether for the first time or for a repeat viewing."

The film, which already smashed records for takings in its opening weekend, is still showing at cinemas, giving it time to surpass the current record held by Avatar, which took 1.859 billion US dollars (£1.146 billion) at the box office, and the 1.843 billion US dollars (£1.142 billion) worldwide record set by 1997's Titanic.