A moviegoer looks at the poster for Titanic 3D at a cinema in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on April 12.[Photo/China Daily]

BEIJING - The 3D version of the famed romance film "Titanic" is expected to set a new first-week box office record on the Chinese mainland.

"Titanic 3D" grossed an unprecedented $67 million in China in six days since its April 10 debut, according to statistics from the 20th Century Fox Film Corporation.

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Tickets sales accounted for $11.3 million on the first day, while another $28.5 million was earned in the following three days. The film's 10-day box office in North America, in comparison, amounted to just $36 million.

Even 20th Century Fox President Rupert Murdoch felt compelled to comment on the China release.

"Great opening for Titanic in 3D. First time ever China box office (more) than US," Murdoch wrote on Twitter, a popular microblogging site.

The original "Titanic" raked in $57 million in China, a significant figure at the time.

Film critics expect "Titanic 3D" to earn even more during the upcoming May Day holiday, predicting it to eventually overtake the $222 million earned in China by "Avatar," another James Cameron film.