IT’S OFFICIAL: ‘STAR WARS’ PASSES ‘AVATAR’

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is officially king of the box office.

Walt Disney Studios estimates The Force Awakens passed Avatar’s record North American box office of $760.5 million on Wednesday to claim the No. 1 spot.

A Disney media release trumpeted the landmark achievement, but did not give the new record number. The Force Awak- ens reached $758.2 million Tuesday, right on the cusp.

The J.J. Abrams-directed film passed the mark in a breathtaking 20 days of release. Avatar set the record after 34 weeks in theaters in 2009 (earning $750 million) and a re-release in 2010 ($10.5 million).

“The breakneck pace with which The Force Awakens is hitting major box-office milestones is astonishing,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Rentrak. “To have grabbed the crown for top-grossing film of all time in North America (in just under three weeks) is a testament to the incredible enthusiasm and love fans have for this already-legendary film.”

There is still a big question: Can The Force Awakens be the first film in North America to reach $1 billion?

“It will take a lot more gas in the tank to get to that mark,” says Dergarabedian.

Avatar still leads the global box office with $2.79 billion worldwide. The Force Awakens is No. 4 globally with $1.56 billion. The film opens in China on Saturday.