James Cameron's Avatar Is On Pace to Sink His Previous Box-Office Record
We're gonna run out of Avatar pictures to put with these updates.
I (and many others) said a few weeks ago that while Avatar's opening-weekend haul of $77 million was good but not super-amazing-blockbuster-record-setting "great," the film would grow rapidly once positive word of mouth spread and that it would make tons and tons of cash. I just underestimated how rapidly, how positive, and how many tons and tons of cash.
It was no surprise Avatar stayed on top of the box office this weekend as there were no new wide releases. (Alas, poor Case 39, the welfare-child thriller starring Renee Zellweger–it was scheduled to have been released last winter, then dumped into this past post-NYE weekend, then at the last minute not released at all.) But what has even the most cynical Industry box-office watchers stunned is that Avatar brought in $68 million in its third weekend–the best third weekend haul ever. (Second best third-weekend, Spider-Man is way back at $45 million.)
That's less than a 10% drop from last weekend, and–this is the amazing part–only an 11% drop from its opening weekend. (We all know I suck mightily at math, so someone check my numbers there.) On Friday Avatar soared past the $300 million mark domestically–a full month ahead of Titanic's schedule. Overseas it's now earned $667 million, bringing its total box-office earnings worldwide to over one billion dollars. And there are no signs of things slowing down.
Of course, Avatar benefited from the holidays and school vacations, as folks got their fill of food and family and maybe a little cabin fever and headed out to see the big, stunningly pretty, exciting action-fantasy film everyone was talking about. That may trail off a bit in coming weeks, but it seems clear Avatar is going to be at the top of the box office for a while–it has reached that point all studios dream of where going to the film in the theater becomes a sort of cultural necessity. You just have to see it. And once you see it, you probably want to see it at least once, maybe twice more. (As I've said, I'm impressed by Avatar's visuals, I like the movie fine, but I'm not over-the-moon-in-love with for what is, to me, just a big, shiny, pretty action film. But even I still want to see it again.)
Avatar is currently number four on the all-time worldwide box-office list–it will pass Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest sometime this week and probably pass Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King next weekend. That just leaves Cameron's own Titanic out there at $600 million domestically and $1,843 million worldwide. Clearly those numbers are well within Avatar's reach in the coming month or so. (Domestically there are a bunch more films in the way–Avatar is at number 15 behind titles like Jurassic Park; The Passion of the Christ; Star Wars II, III, and IV; Transformers 2, E.T., Shrek 2, and The Dark Knight. But most of those will be passed in the next week or so.)
Granted, Avatar has the advantage of both inflation. (The average ticket price in 1997 was about $4.60. It was about $7.20 in 2008 and is now probably around $7.70. But even adjusted for inflation, Titanic had only earned $241 million by this point in its theatrical run.) On top of that, most folks are seeing Avatar on 3D screens, which boosts ticket costs by about 25%.
Oh, the rest of the box office? It was strong as well–the holidays and lack of new competition meant that most of the top films held steady or even surpassed Christmas weekend–plus, you know, rising tides, boats, etc. Sherlock Holmes was still in second place with $38 million ($141 million total, domestically), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel in third with $37 million ($157 million total–and no, no more demonic Chipmunk jokes…), and It's Complicated in fourth with $19 million.
The season's other big success story remains The Blind Side, which actually went up in sales this past weekend–its $13 million seventh-weekend haul gives it $209 million total domestically and makes Sandra Bullock the first actress ever to have a $200 million film in which she alone was the above-the-title star. (That's not counting Titanic or My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where the films were not marketed and sold to viewers based on Kate Winslet or Nia Vardalos' star power. And Blind Side will pass Greek Wedding very soon.)
The rest of the box-office top ten this week included Up In the Air, The Princess and the Frog, Did You Hear About the Morgans, Nine (yes, it was in ninth place), and Invictus. All of those films except Nine also went up in sales as people saw Avatar, Holmes, and the Chipmunks and went looking for other fare. The White Ribbon, director Michael (Cache, Funny Games) Haneke's acclaimed pre-WWI tale of fascism in a small German village, opened in three theaters but brought in an encouraging $20,000 at each.
This weekend brings Daybreakers for the vampire-horror-action crowd and Leap Year for the rom-com-inclined–as well as Tim Allen's Crazy on the Outside, Micheal Cera's Youth in Revolt, and Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, starring Heath Ledger. While Daybreakers and Leap Year may do fine, neither of them is going to beat Avatar. Big Blue is going to be on top for several weeks to come.
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 8:23 am
This is a hoot. I think I’m as entertained by some of these comments as I was by Avatar. It was a great movie, no matter what parts might have been borrowed from others. Funny thing is that, when the movie was over, I was able to return to the reality of a durable planet inhabited by excitable people. Thank you, James Cameron, for an awesome flick that successfully took so many to a fantastic place.
Now, everyone go and help someone today. Yeah… that’s what I thought.
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 8:32 am
I am religious and conservative and I thought the movie was the best I’ve seen since Star Wars as far as the special effects go. It took movies to the next level with the 3D. Movies w/o 3D are boring to me now. As far as the story, history repeats over and over, people will always be exploited for selfish reasons unless someone stands up like the marine in avatar or like Moses, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King etc. Movies like this will always be intriguing to the human race because history is leading up to the final battle over good and evil.
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 8:45 am
I must have seen another movie titled “Avatar”. After getting pass the IMAX 3D wow factor I was bored out of my mind. The plot was average at best. Best Movie Ever? Get real! I was more entertained with the IMAX previews of Toy Story and Shrek.
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 9:11 am
Jim – I liked your comment re: liberals just liking to talk. A good book u might want 2 pick up is Arguing With Idiots by Glenn Beck.>). That really rubbed me the wrong way. Not too mention the Shadow. (“I must prove myself to the Navi! I will mount the Shadow, and even the dude that hated me will now be my ally! Whoopie! Plus, Smurfette will fall back in love with me…” says Jake Sully.)
Dallas – Thanks 4 the inspirational preaching! More power 2 u! Be not ashamed of Him, and He will not be ashamed of u!
Mike – Thanks 4 d info @ http://bit.ly/4yYwth. I loved it! Too funny!
Everyone else, I saw the movie and liked it. One of my favorites? Not really, but I’ll probably buy it on DVD. I’d re-watch it, but I don’t “HAVE” to go see it again in the theater. I definitely noticed the length of the film; but that’s to be expected w/ Cameron. I like the glowing world and had fun watching Jake marvel at all the things he could make light up or disappear just by making physical contact with it. On that note…
I have a ?? 4 u all – did anyone else out there find the whole tentacle bonding thing to be a bit creepy?!?!
It seemed like the Navi like getting a little too imtimate with a bunch of different species to me. First the fickle horse (who will let just anyone ‘halo’ him). Then the blue/green birds (I forget what they are called) who only have one rider for life with the whole bird domination concept (“I choose you; now I will force you to bond with me forever, Birdie? HA-HA-Ha-ha! <
At any rate, I agree with everyone who went to the movie to relax and escape reality. Let’s not make it all “deep” and “spiritual.”
meliR27
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 10:03 am
you people have to much time on your hands. i enjoyed the movie because my grandkids thought it was a cool movie.leave it at that. it is what it is. enjoy something.
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 2:07 pm
don’t you think it’s ok for anyone to enjoy this movie for whatever reason they see fit? if someone finds it deep and touching, while another enjoys the action-packed stimulation and still another just likes watching the 3D technology? all are valid reasons for enjoying this stunning movie and why do we need to hate on anyone else for their reasons WHY they liked watching something? so silly…
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 3:20 pm
This was a very entertaining movie, I enjoyed!! why not just go and see it and keep an open mind and not worry if its this or not…..
Posted on January 6, 2010 at 6:17 pm
I really liked Avatar. The CG was amazing. It is the first movie I can think of in which the characters were wholly CG and yet they still drew you completely into the story. The world they lived in was amazing. It may be looked back on as a landmark movie which suddenly eliminated the need for live actors.
OK now the down side. Avatar was not deep. The plot was stupid. The ecology plot is so overworked. The evil white male theme is completely lacking in creativity.
“Unobtainium”! come on? Why was the village on top of the unobtainium? Not answered. Why did the evil humans need the unobtainium? Not answered. How did bows arrows and spears penetrate armor designed to stop armor piercing shells? Not answered. What did the world wide plant web have to do with anything? Not answered. Why is it that any of the blue guys didn’t think of grabbing the big red bird from above? Just dumb I guess. Why did the blue guys not advance beyond the hunter gatherer phase? Again, just dumb I guess. How did the big block headed beasts stop projectiles designed to penetrate armor? Not answered. What stops the evil humans from returning with more powerful machines and more sophisticated weapons to wipe out the locals? Not answered. Why not just use biological warfare like the whites involuntarily did to the American Indians? Not answered.
The whole idea of a primitive culture with bows, arrows and spears resisting a starfaring highly advanced civilization is dumb. The North Vietnamese never successfully resisted the American military. They just wore the country out politically.
A better ending to this story would have been the arrival of someone with a modicum of intelligence from higher authority who admires the blue guys and so puts an end to the warfare.
The plot was simplistic and cartoonish. Did I mentioned that I really liked the movie anyway.
Posted on January 7, 2010 at 1:41 am
Sam Primavera….
Science FICTION… Doesn’t have to make sense..
And a lot of your questions were answered, or can be answered yourself w/ a lil bit of logic / Imagination..
But on the brighter side, Glad you liked it!
Posted on January 7, 2010 at 9:12 am
I saw Avatar in 3d it was MAGICAL.
James Cameron is at the top of his game.
This money will live on in my memory.
The best I have seen this year.The Academy will do a great disservice to movies if avatar is not given the BEST PICTURE award for 2009 and special effects.
Enough said.Now for those political minds who cant see nothing but politics,poking holes into the movie about sending a liberal message.You are a POLITICAL SLAVE.
A slave to your party message and cant see differently or do anything differently…Political Slaves….
STOP PUSHING THE POLITICS TO WHERE IT DOES NOT BELONG.
Posted on January 7, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Everyone’s unique on thier thought process.. lol
Anyway.. I really liked the movie very much.. planning to see it again.. builds up the economy too.. theatre staff etc etc :))
Posted on January 7, 2010 at 1:54 pm
HEY 18b60pilot, I cant belive you did not like the movie, you were in it! Good corolation between Blackwater securing Iraq for the Bush Oil fortune and the military outfit answering only to the corporation on Pandora. I believe that the plot in “The way of war” was based on truth, not fiction. Mr Cameron you did very good in every field with the movie, the plot, the 3D effects, the native people and animals of pandora. If I had lost the use of my legs and was given a body that was stronger and faster, I would have taken a run like the hero did in this one. Mr 18B60pilot, take you blinders off, every war in human history is the result of human greed, the one portrayed on Pandora was a repeate of the oldest plot in human history, except for the ending, the little guy usually does not win.
Posted on January 7, 2010 at 7:36 pm
after 4 times that we tried to see “Avatar” with my family, (becasue the shows were sold out) be were so glad, it is a very, very, good SUPER movie, We loved it!!!!! it’s a Magical movie, I will see it again and again, Thanks for this movie.
Posted on January 7, 2010 at 8:59 pm
I watched Avatar last weekend….VERY GOOD!! Money well spent…I would watch it AGAIN!! It is worth watching and owning when it comes out on DVD!!
Posted on January 16, 2010 at 10:40 am
Avatar delivers a brilliant and awesome experience, but the story is derived, a bit obviously, from other sources.
Dances with Wolves: the hero is a soldier from a conquering, technologically advanced culture. He goes native when he learns the ways of a spiritually superior indigenous people.
Matrix: uploading and downloading information and linking to simulated experiences. The hero ends up questioning which experiences are most meaningful to him.
Star Wars: a divinity similar to The Force in Eywa, whose name is a clever anagram of Yahweh.
Insert religion or myth: The hero as a Messianic Chosen One.
I enjoyed the visual genius on display in Avatar, but I was disappointed that the story was not more original.
Posted on January 20, 2010 at 4:31 am
Hey chuck, you were the target audience for this cartoon. You were able to connect with the message that the US is a terrible, evil empire driven by greed- projecting military might across the universe to steal every natural resource known to man or smurf. I dont think I have ever taken part in an operation to steal oil from anyone. I do remember lots of coordination to build schools, provide medical attention to people, stand up security/police forces, moving bad guys out of towns and even rescuing some muts. The whole time my “blinders were off” So I guess its pretty much like the flick -A big difference being my Navi liked to bury little gifts for us along the roads and trails that we would travel to do these things. You are FREE to watch this movie as many times as you like, and feel FREE to post a reply to my post. I can count 16 of my buddies that will not be able to watch Mr. Cameron’s masterpiece or any other movie.
Posted on January 22, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Ooo, I am seeing AVATAR this Monday the 26 with my Aunt! I am pumped up and my Aunt is all pumped up too! I absolutely can’t wait to travel to the Pandora!!!