Holy Moly! Avatar is unstoppable. It has just officially surpassed The Dark Knight in domestic box office gross and is set to beat Titanic for all time domestic box office champ shortly after, a feat it just accomplished internationally. I can attest to it’s popularity having plunked down my $13.50 last night to see it for the first time. Here it is about a month after it opened and the theater was PACKED with just about every seat taken an hour before it was set to start. My local IMAX theater is STILL sold out and revenue only seems to be going up from here.
From Variety –
Still behind “Titanic” in U.S. totals, “Avatar” made history overseas.
Pic earned $107 million from 11,803 screens in 111 markets at the foreign B.O., just enough to sink the ship, making “Avatar” the all-time champ in international receipts with $1.28 billion. Cameron’s “Titanic” previously held the overseas record with $1.24 billion.
“Having been a part of the ‘Titanic’ phenomenon, we never thought this day would come in our careers,” said Fox Intl. co-prexys Paul Hanneman and Tomas Jegeus. “But James Cameron created in ‘Avatar’ a film with such humanity and magic that it resonates with people of every culture.”
“Avatar’s” worldwide cume stands at $1.84 billion.
Here’s my two cents on the movie. It’s visually stunning. A true game changer and I think will change how large blockbuster epics will be made for some time to come. You really do feel like things are taking place right there in front of you. Sigourney Weaver is standing there in person. There is equipment and soldiers right there, which is a remarkable achievement. I can’t wait to see some franchises in this kind of 3D. Count me in for Batman. But the story itself, while entertaining it was quite predictable and has been the same premise used in countless movies before. I thought it was very cowboys and indians ala Dances With Wolves. Since I don’t think Cameron has made a bad movie this will impact his body of work little, but it’s not even close to his best or most original film.
