Ol' James Cameron did it again. Even though his 3D, CG, motion-capture spectacular (otherwise known as Avatar) is now in its fourth week of release, it nabbed the top spot at the box office once more with an astounding $48.5 million. The competition didn't even come close to touching it — Sherlock Holmes was next in line with about 1/3 of big blue's sales, or $16.6 million. That's just crazy. But Locke called it last week: it's going to take a lot more than some dapper vampires, a phoned-in rom-com or Michael Cera twins to knock Pandora off its axis.
And it's apparently going to take a heck of a lot to get rid of that rodent problem in theaters (some people call in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel), too. The little guys were tailing Robert Downey Jr's eccentric detective all weekend, but landed close behind him in the number three spot with $16.3 million.
In the number four position we finally got a new release — Daybreakers with $15 million. Baby boomer rom-com It's Complicated rounded out the top five with $11 million. As far as the two other new wide releases went, Leap Year was in sixth place with about $9.2 million, and the long-delayed Youth in Revolt came in ninth with $7 million (it was in about half the number of theaters as the top films were, however).
Now that everyone's back from their holiday breaks and found some time to tally up the figures for 2009, we have our top-ten grossing films for the year (amounts listed are the US totals only). Drumroll, please…
1. Avatar – $429 million
2. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen – $402 million
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – $301.9 million
4. Up – $293 million
5, The Twilight Saga: New Moon – $290.7 million
6. The Hangover – $277 million
7. Star Trek – $257.7 million
8. The Blind Side – $219 million
9. Monsters vs. Aliens – $198 million
10. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – $196.5 million
Now the question is: will Avatar score a five-peat next weekend? It's got Peter Jackson's adaption of the best-selling novel The Lovely Bones to contend with, along with The Hughes Brothers' Book of Eli and, um, babysitter/counterterrorism agent Jackie Chan in The Spy Next Door. I'm thinking only The Book of Eli might come close to touching the reigning champ because it might attract the same audience that's seeing Avatar over and over again. What do you guys think? Will we be back next Monday reporting another box-office victory for Cameron?
Posted on January 16, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Ooh my! Avatar was amazing! At first, I didnt even know what it was going to be about. Then I heard everyone talking about AVATAR. So I went to see it, and I hadn’t shutup about it since… I’ve seen it 4 times in theatre! :) BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR…nothing beats Avatar.
Posted on January 16, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Avatar the film, I won’t be seeing because I absolutely have no interest at all to see the film in the theatre but I will be waiting for rent.
Avatar seems like a great film. Leap Year seems like good film.
OMG, Kirsten — you saw the film Avatar four times in the theatre! When I saw The Time Traveler’s Wife I couldn’t shutup about the film and I still haven’t because the home video of The Time Traveler’s Wife comes out February 9, 2010. I saw the film two times in the theatre.
Once I see Leap Year tomorrow, my first movie I have seen in the theatre this year 2010, I probably be talking about the film to everyone and still I’m talking about This Is It.
Another film that I can’t stop talking about and I should start not talk about it as much is Julie & Julia, I absolutely can’t stop talking about that film since I have been talking about the film since August and I think my family wants me to stop talking about Julie & Julia.
I absolutely can’t stop talking about the Golden Globe Awards either since I am pumped up for them for tomorrow night and I am so excited that Julie & Julia is one of the nominations!
But once I see Avatar on rent, I’ll probably won’t stop talking about the film and forget about Julie & Julia, it will still be one of my favorites.
Several of films that I have seen in past years, a certain film I see and so hooked on that film and then I end up talking about the film over two to six months.
When we talk about films over and over again, it seems that we are saying cliches about films that we absolutely enjoy.
I will be seeing Avatar on rent for sure!
Posted on January 16, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I’ve just seen Avatar for the 2nd time, both times in 3D, today in an IMAX..and, boys and girls, let me tell you, Cameron has “DEFINETLY” raised the bar for the whole movie-going experience. This is a “benchmark” film of our time. This movie gives a new meaning to the phrase “shock and awe”, totally. This is an indication of whats to come. Watch for “3D” blu-ray players by next Christmas.
Posted on January 17, 2010 at 11:29 am
Avatar might be one of the best films of the decade but it won’t stop at all, the film itself is already in the #1 at the box-office and the film is grossing over 200 million dollars so right there the film has a finiancial success right there.
Kirsten: I can’t believe that you saw the film Avatar four times in the theatre already! I have done that before but didn’t a film four times in theatre. I did for The Time Traveler’s Wife and I saw the film two times in the theatre.
The Best Films of The Year: Avatar and The Blind Side, in my opinion.