Avatar, the movie that we all love, is lighting up the box office in a crazy fashion.
So far, the movie has hauled in nearly $400 million dollars. Avatar was rumored to have cost a total of between 300 and 500 million dollars, depending on how you count.
The good news: given current daily hauls, Avatar should break even, assuming the worst projections of its cost, in about a week. Take a look yourself, and check the math.
The film was quite a risk financially, putting such a large sum into an unproven franchise. The director did state that if the film was a commercial success he would create two others. Fans of the movie, let’s all go and see it again to make this happen.
Avatar is my personal pick for best picture this year, it blows away anything else that I have seen so far. Will its plot genre or production style kill its chances? We shall see, but if it does not at least get a nomination, I shall be annoyed.
Avatar has proven it folks: make a damn fine film and people will come to see it, no matter their initial reservations.
I absolutely love this movie (seen it twice). Great to see I’m far from the only one, lol.
“The budget for Avatar (…) is $237 million, with $150 million for promotion, end of story.”
I literally JUST got home from watching this movie and opened reader and saw this post… That movie kicked so much ass… Have to see it in 3D – SO worth it… man I loved that movie!
1 its a quote
2 was aimed @”between 300 and 500 million dollars”
3 seen it 2 times ;]
I couldn’t agree more, and yes, I will see it again (heck, I just saw it last night and may go back today).
Avatar has set a new benchmark, much like Star Wars did in 77(?).
Anyway, best film ever made, and a film that must be seen in the theatre.
The only Movie I have ever seen which lived up to expectations with such a hype
Avatar is already a financial disaster and an unprecedented BOMB at the box-office. No amount of media trolling on the internet and entertainment industry tax-evasion tactics is going to change the hard reality of the numbers.
As Avatar becomes one of movie historys most embarrassing financial disasters and technical flops, this Fern Gully rip-off live-action “commie-drama” shows that “If you make it, The Americans WILL NOT come”.
This is especially true when the movies lack of technological prowess is overhyped to the theme of it being a technological advancement. If this is an advancement of any kind, it’s that the entertainment industry is financially and socially deader than it already is.
This movie looks and feels like a video-game: Cheesy effects, dreary dialogues, a thin story. Except you don’t get to control any of the characters. If this one goes for one of the best films of the last years, than it’s only because there are other films that have been even worse and have had a more limited marketing budget and failed to convince every hillbilly in every hicksville that this is the greatest movie they have ever seen in their live (the only other movie they have a seen being the trailer of iron man 2…)
The Americans don’t have hillbillies or hicksvilles, but they do have the technology and the will to kick James Cameron back to asia, or kill him. We’ll just have to watch the news. And in real life they don’t come in blue or white. They’re red all over.
I hope you realise that there are other costs involved before the film can ‘break even’, such as distribution, though of course it will do very well over time, as do most big budget movies these days.
Apparently movies that have a production budget of between around $45 million and $75 million are the ones that do the worst (on average), whereas lower budget (usually indie) films do well (in terms of making a good return) because they have good stories and pull in the intelligent crowd, whereas the big budget ones are effects heavy and pull in the mainstream mass, again making an overall profit. And of course, DVD sales are usually where the megabucks come in – films are generally seen much more on the small screen than the big one.
More info on the budgeting is in this interview with Steven Soderbergh: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p34yp
Loved this movie. Best movie of 2009! Planning to watch it again.
Been twice with friends who don’t normally go to the movies, they can’t shut up about it, and neither can I. I think its a good movie anyway, but the 3D – well it just blew me away – I will never be able to look at 2D movies in the same way again, they just look kinda ‘flat’.
I saw Avatar yesterday. And by far it’s one of the best movies i have ever seen. And with it being in 3-d was a bonus I will see it again today.
One of the best movies I’seen in the old and the new worlds. Technologically it is a giant leap, Amazing attention to details. Five stars just for that. The movie is awesome. I definitively will see this movie again. And I will tell all my senior friends to see the movie in IMAX 3D.
All the financial aspects should concern producers, promoters, etc. Political aspects of the movie should concern anonymous juveniles.
Millions, shmillions – who cares? Just enjoy the movie.
OMG! What an amazing film! This movie had the epic feel of blockbusters before it and so far the box office numbers show that result. The story was good, the special effects were amazing, and the premise was well displayed. Truly an enjoyable movie that deserved to do well.
This is an interesting article on Avatar
http://www.moneyteachers.org/Deadmanmusings8.htm
I won't go see it again. I'd rather spend my 8 bucks to go see a movie like Legion than to go see a 3-D alien remake of Pocahontas for three hours.
u really a cynic or wat ??? u watched the movie??? so wat he spends 150 mills on promotion ???? the movie is awesome, by the way.
You’re kidding, right? This article was being conservative. Box office estimates in the United States have this movie pulling in more than $200 million by the end of this weekend (probably beating out Sherlock Holmes) with around $300 in international box office for around $500 million by the end of its second weekend of release.
If this movie continues to hold onto its daily audience the way that it’s currently doing, there is every reason believe that its final worldwide (US + international) numbers will put it into the exclusive club of billion dollar earners (probably coming in a distant second to Titanic).
On a more personal note, the word-of-mouth from people who have actually seen the movie is unbelievable. My teenage daughters and all of their friends have already seen it multiple times and have been dragging everyone they know to see it. Every single one of them have said that this is the best movie that they’ve EVER seen.
This post is ful of fail.
This post (and your next one) is just full of fail.
It’s now Jan 4, 2010, and Avatar has already cleared the 1 billion dollar mark…
Everyone knew this would be happening by December 26…
Where was this fellow hanging out…
On Pandora???
indeed…i’ve seen it several times and am yet to tire of it. my entie family have gone along for the experience to.