'Avatar' on track to topple 'Titanic' as top film of all time

[hah]

Leave it to James Cameron to sink the Titanic.

His sci-fi opus Avatar sailed past The Dark Knightto become the second highest-grossing film of all time and is bearing down on his 1997 epic Titanic, which holds the title with $601 million.

Now it's no longer a question of whether Avatar surpasses Titanic, but by how much.

The picture racked up $36 million this weekend, keeping it atop the box office for the sixth straight week and lifting its total to $552 million, according to studio estimates from box office tracking firm Nielsen EDI.

The haul puts Avatar on track to eclipse Titanic by the weekend or early next week, defying analysts who said that increased studio competition would make it impossible for a movie to beat Titanic.

But Cameron is churning up the box office the same way he did 12 years ago: by releasing his movie over Christmas and pounding the weaker films that tend to populate winter. While it's unlikely this film can stay No. 1 for four months as Titanic did, Avatar is showing striking similarities to its predecessor.

Consider: The most Avatar's ticket sales have fallen in one week is 26%, unheard of for a commercial Hollywood film not named Titanic. And Avatar set another record for most ticket sales in its sixth week of release, beating Titanic's $25 million.

Internationally, the film is even stronger. Avatar has taken in $1.81 billion worldwide, and will beat Titanic's record of $1.84 billion this week.

"We're getting people who are seeing it multiple times, of course," says Chris Aronson of 20th Century Fox, which released the movie. "But there are still people who haven't seen it yet and plan to. There's more business to do."

Of course, it doesn't hurt when your movie faces middling competition week after week. Legion, a low-budget horror film expected to debut in the middle of the pack, surprised analysts by taking second place with $18.2 million.

The Denzel Washington thriller The Book of Eli continues to hold its own, taking third place with $17 million and lifting its total to $62 million.

The Tooth Fairy, Dwayne Johnson's family comedy, was fourth with a debut of $14.5 million while Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones rounded out the top five with $8.8 million, bringing its total to $31.6 million.

The only other wide-release movie out this weekend, Harrison Ford's medical drama Extraordinary Measures, took seventh place with $7 million, meeting its modest expectations.

Ticket sales were down 31% from last weekend, but up 6% from the same weekend a year ago.

Final figures are due Monday.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-01-24-boxoffice24_N.htm

Misawa aint allowed lol :P

Edited by Tash. (Forum Moderator): Thread moved from 'Current Affairs'

[Immenseman]

I don't get what Avatar is lol, is it any good? I haven't heard anybody talking about it irl hardly and if I didn't use the internet I'd know nothing about it.

[::Art::]

I haven't seen it bit apparently it's like smurfs killin each other lol. Might watch it online

[jackass]

I don't get what Avatar is lol, is it any good? I haven't heard anybody talking about it irl hardly and if I didn't use the internet I'd know nothing about it.

I hear people talking about all the time, let alone the same trailer that they played over and over again everywhere. :P

But yeah, I loved it!


I haven't seen it bit apparently it's like smurfs killin each other lol. Might watch it online

Whoever told you that is a moron.

[Mathew]

All I know about Avatar is that it cost a fortune to make. Not seen any trailers or anything.. :P

Nobody is talking about the film anywhere.. how is it taking over Titanic's top spot?

[jackass]

Nobody is talking about the film anywhere.. how is it taking over Titanic's top spot?

Because they are. :S

[Accipiter]

dunno how you haven't heard of it... People just mustn't think you care about films :P

i watched it online, already knew the script but still thought it was worth going to the cinema to watch it in 3d, and that was yesterday... and the thing was fully booked. its been released over a month now i think?

For it taking over titanic i think its well deserved, the acting is great in it and it gets you really hooked. but seeing it in 3d is well worth the money.

[Immenseman]

Only time I recollect seeing it, is everywhere on the internet and outside the cinema, lol. Usually if something huge comes out that it supposed to be amazing, I'll go with my mates, we've never even discussed going.

[Melsia]

I saw it at the imax and loved it :D
It is REALLY good but I don't think it's as good as Titanic

[-:Undertaker:-]

It looks a bit like a nerdy film to me?

[Accipiter]

It looks a bit like a nerdy film to me?

it reallyyy isn't.

[Special]

My brother seen this and says it's nothing special from anyt other sci-fi film. THis kind of film doesnt intrest me so i wont be watching it :P

[Immenseman]

I just don't get what it's about. When I think of it I just see funny coloured aliens because that's the ad or poster I've seen.

[Seatherny]

I just don't get what it's about. When I think of it I just see funny coloured aliens because that's the ad or poster I've seen.

Go watch it :) Its quite good.
I watched it in 3D IMAX, so maybe that's why I loved it.

But considering its made so much money, it must be the story.

[Accipiter]

humans fly to a planet
planet has some sort of highly valuable coal.
huge section of the coal thing under the aliens tree, (were they live and have for thousands of years)
humans have alien "avatars" that they can become to socialise with the aliens.

thats about it without ruining it.

[Seatherny]

Even though I loved the film, I agree with Melsia, Titanic is much better.

[Black_Apalachi]

It's about humans invading an alien planet which contains a substance they want. Instead of using force to get what they want, a soldier is sent in to try and befriend the alien race so that he may negotiate something but in the end, the humans get greedy and selfish and decide to tear their world apart to get what they want. By this time however, the soldier has grown extremely attached to the aliens and he ends up helping them fight off the humans.

I'm not that surprised it's doing as well as Titanic because back then, if you wanted to see a film, there wasn't really any alternatives to just going to the cinema. Now we have piracy and easy ways to avoid the cinema. However the clever thing about 3D movies is that you have to go to the cinema if you want the complete experience. Had this been a regular film with no extraordinary special effects, it would be no way near as successful as it is. There are some heated discussions that may help you decide whether you want to go and see it or not in the TV & Film section (which btw, is where film-related threads go lol).

[AlexOC]

Aww..

When i was a little boy i used to sing that song off Titanic. I LOVE TITANIC.

[jackass]

http://i46.tinypic.com/22klz8.png

So close now!

[MrGazet]

it was good but i love titanic better

[Neversoft]

I don't get what Avatar is lol, is it any good? I haven't heard anybody talking about it irl hardly and if I didn't use the internet I'd know nothing about it.

Have you been living under a rock for the past month?

[Fivas]

I've never seen the trailer even for this movie
I'm not getting the jist of what it's about yet.. not sure if I should go see it

[Sly]

It's a great film I didn't fancy it at first and had no idea what to expect when I went to see it in 3D but I loved it.

[adaym]

If it wasn't for 3d this film would be mediocre at best.

[Misawa]

This "news" could have just been put in the Avatar thread.

[Black_Apalachi]

I've never seen the trailer even for this movie
I'm not getting the jist of what it's about yet.. not sure if I should go see it


It's about humans invading an alien planet which contains a substance they want. Instead of using force to get what they want, a soldier is sent in to try and befriend the alien race so that he may negotiate something but in the end, the humans get greedy and selfish and decide to tear their world apart to get what they want. By this time however, the soldier has grown extremely attached to the aliens and he ends up helping them fight off the humans. ...



This "news" could have just been put in the Avatar thread.

Or at least the TV & Film section lmao.

[Gibs960]

supposed to be good, I'm gonna see it on Saturday :)

[-Heart]

Ha what a joke.

[Accipiter]

Ha what a joke.

you actually seen it? or just though "ooh a busy thread, and a free pointless post count".

i would say its better than titanic, titanic is pretty boring compared to it.

And does this include the merchandise sales or just the box office sales?

[-Heart]

you actually seen it? or just though "ooh a busy thread, and a free pointless post count".

i would say its better than titanic, titanic is pretty boring compared to it.

And does this include the merchandise sales or just the box office sales?
Seen it, and I'm surprised that I didn't fall asleep during the first 2-ish hours.

[Accipiter]

i liked it because it shows the true way the human race would react in a situation like that, i don't think they would give a **** if it was for personal gain. And its story was quite connecting, i think the tree of souls was an amazing idea, even though it was basically used as a metaphor for computers but in a natural world.

[Black_Apalachi]

i liked it because it shows the true way the human race would react in a situation like that, i don't think they would give a **** if it was for personal gain. And its story was quite connecting, i think the tree of souls was an amazing idea, even though it was basically used as a metaphor for computers but in a natural world.

That's part of what I originally saw about it's unoriginality (humans reacting harshly through greed etc) as we see it in every science fiction movie involving other species similar to our own.

I must admit I loved the idea of the whole world being connected. It's basically how we know nature to be connected but in a literal sense.

[jackass]

Avatar is now, officially, the highest grossing film of all time. :)

1. Avatar (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/) (2009) $1,840,797,418
2. Titanic (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/) (1997) $1,835,300,000

http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegross?region=world-wide

[Misawa]

No one was expecting that...

[Sly]

No one was expecting that...
;/

it's a good film but the majority of the people I know have NOT seen it and that seems to be the case with quite alot of people so I don't know how it happened ;o

Cinemas was sold out though when I went to see it so I dunno hmm.

[Black_Apalachi]

I do agree that it's not like a hot topic within conversations so it does seem slightly strange.

[ifuseekamy]

It's more or less an overly long Pixar movie that follows the typical Romeo and Juliet storyline. Most of the hype is because it's from the guy who made Titanic and they spent a ton on the CGI, it's not really a 'timeless classic' type film.

[MrGazet]

Avatar is now, officially, the highest grossing film of all time. :)

1. Avatar (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/) (2009) $1,840,797,418
2. Titanic (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/) (1997) $1,835,300,000

http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegross?region=world-wide

wow that's so impressive.I've never thought that the record could be beaten

[dbgtz]

Wow I havn't seen avatar because it looks like it sucks, maybe I'll rent it when it's out on bluray.

[RedStratocas]

wow that's so impressive.I've never thought that the record could be beaten

it was beaten because ticket prices now are twice as much as they were when titanic came out, not to mention most people go to see the 3d version which is more money.

i havent seen avatar. i hear the visuals are pretty awesome but thats the only thing going for it, my roommate is a film major, he said the acting is incredibly bad and the story lacks originality. for me visuals can only entertain me so much, and i doubt the story will keep me from getting bored. if i see it im seeing it in 3d though.

[Blinger1]

There really wasn't much 3D in it IMHO.

[Immenseman]

titanic is old school and a classic ;l i don't think avatar will be as big as titanic 20 years on

[Misawa]

People need to go back to 1986 to see his best film.

[Accipiter]

There really wasn't much 3D in it IMHO.

thats true i expected more 3d movements in the forest, only time it caught me out was when the branches were infront of the navi lass.

[Neversoft]

titanic is old school and a classic ;l i don't think avatar will be as big as titanic 20 years on

Really? I think it will be bigger. No one really cares about Titanic anymore and it didn't really do anything film goers hadn't already seen. Avatar is massive in terms of technological advancement. It's the Jurassic Park of our time.

[Sly]

I got goosebumps when trudy died
did anyone else think it was abit epic

[[Jay]]

I got goosebumps when trudy died
did anyone else think it was abit epic
Nice spoiler you just ruined it for me :(
I dont think it would of made that much money if it was only 2d.

[Sly]

;6265846']Nice spoiler you just ruined it for me :(
I dont think it would of made that much money if it was only 2d.
a 2d cartoon with a completely different plot and was released straight to dvd?

[[Jay]]

a 2d cartoon with a completely different plot and was released straight to dvd?
Yes if it was like that

[Sly]

sorry i thought you'd seen it :(

[untrustus]

it was beaten because ticket prices now are twice as much as they were when titanic came out, not to mention most people go to see the 3d version which is more money.

i havent seen avatar. i hear the visuals are pretty awesome but thats the only thing going for it, my roommate is a film major, he said the acting is incredibly bad and the story lacks originality. for me visuals can only entertain me so much, and i doubt the story will keep me from getting bored. if i see it im seeing it in 3d though.
first paragraph is spot on. avatar is only actually 26th in terms of ticket sales, behind the likes of titanic and gone with the wind (which is #1)

[Misawa]

Yes. I hope everyone realises that, adjusted for inflation, Gone with the Wind took $6 billion.

[kk.]

which is what i said in the other thread.
The amount of different versions now available, 2D and 3D, along with more cinemas being widely available, and then the sales of digital copies, dvds, blu rays, its all going to add up

[Misawa]

It's made 6 billion theatrically, not including home entertainment releases. Imagine how much it's made on home entertainment formats over the years. Avatar and Titanic alike are far down those lists and always will be.

[Black_Apalachi]

it was beaten because ticket prices now are twice as much as they were when titanic came out, not to mention most people go to see the 3d version which is more money. ...

I was going to say it would be nice to have information on ticket sales as opposed to revenue but other posts suggest this information is available. Would anybody be able to suggest where to find a list like this?


thats true i expected more 3d movements in the forest, only time it caught me out was when the branches were infront of the navi lass.

They weren't suppose to "catch you out". One of the biggest compliments I had about the film was that the 3D effects weren't overdone. By that I mean you could have expected it to be used with every falling rock or flying object, but instead it was used really subtly with plants and creatures as you moved through the forest. I thought that was a really good aspect of the film.

[MrPinkPanther]

In 1939 when Gone with the Wind came out a lot more people went to the Cinema than they do in the present day because TV's were not widely available, that was their only option for entertainment and the Cinema was a lot cheaper (Even after inflation is taken into account). For many people the Cinema was a weekly ritual. This makes it impossible to calculate how well Avatar has done. I'd say the actual figure should be some way in between the "Box office records" and "Inflation adjusted box office records"

[Misawa]

Yes, it was the main form of entertainment back then, BUT more people go to the movies today than any other generation and films make more than they ever have, except on rare instances like Gone With the Wind.

[Catchy]

i watched avatar today i thought it was well good abit drawn out and long though but meh

[untrustus]

I was going to say it would be nice to have information on ticket sales as opposed to revenue but other posts suggest this information is available. Would anybody be able to suggest where to find a list like this?

(number of tickets sold on the right hand side)

1 "Gone With the Wind" (1939) 202,044,600
2 "Star Wars" (1977) 178,119,600
3 "The Sound of Music" (1965) 142,415,400
4 "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) 141,854,300
5 "The Ten Commandments" (1956) 131,000,000
6 "Titanic" (1997) 128,345,900
7 "Jaws" (1975) 128,078,800
8 "Doctor Zhivago" (1965) 124,135,500
9 "The Exorcist" (1973) 110,568,700
10 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) 109,000,000
11 "101 Dalmatians" (1961) 99,917,300
12 "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) 98,180,600
13 "Ben-Hur" (1959) 98,000,000
14 "Return of the Jedi" (1983) 94,059,400
15 "The Sting" (1973) 89,142,900
16 "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) 88,141,900
17 "Jurassic Park" (1993) 86,205,800
18 "The Graduate" (1967) 85,571,400
19 "Star Wars: Episode I" (1999) 84,825,800
20 "Fantasia" (1941) 83,043,500

[Black_Apalachi]

That list is really pleasing actually. Cheers, +rep :D.


In 1939 when Gone with the Wind came out a lot more people went to the Cinema than they do in the present day because TV's were not widely available, that was their only option for entertainment and the Cinema was a lot cheaper (Even after inflation is taken into account). For many people the Cinema was a weekly ritual. This makes it impossible to calculate how well Avatar has done. I'd say the actual figure should be some way in between the "Box office records" and "Inflation adjusted box office records"

Haha my dad used to go on about how back in the day (not quite that far back :P), they would have a few short films and various stuff before the main film. Unlike now where we have enough time to finish our popcorn just watching adverts.

[Misawa]

Yup, and most of the time two films would be shown in a double feature, often with the main attraction first, like a John Wayne film, followed by a very low-budget film on the b-reel, hence b-movie. Contrary to popular belief, b-movie is the term for the "inferior quality" film after a main feature in those days, NOT just any old indie film

[Black_Apalachi]

Cool. Wish it was more like that today. I think I've only ever seen one short before a movie and all it did was make me panic because it was some childish cartoon so I thought I was at the wrong screen :P. Cinemas are surprisingly expensive considering how much advertising there is before every screening.