Money Matters, Simplified.
James Cameron’s “Avatar” expects unbelievable opening week
by Ishita Sood - December 18, 2009 - comments
James Cameron seen with wife Suzy Amis at the premiers of his new sci-fi movie, Avatar. Cameron believes Avatar won't behave like his previous hit Titanic
New York, December 18 -- James Cameron’s most anticipated project, Avatar, is expected to make more than $75 million at the U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend.
The Titanic directors’ sci-fi movie is a victory for 20th Century Fox studio and Hollywood.
“Don't be surprised if it hits that billion dollar mark (worldwide during its entire run) if it really takes off and becomes the event film of the season,” said Jeff Bock, box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations Co.
The movie
Avatar, a Sanskrit word, means representation of a real person in a virtualized world.
The story of the 3-D movie is about a young soldier from Earth, which is engaged in a fight with an extraterrestrial planet called Pandora.
However, he bonds with a Navi girl--Navis are descendants of Pandora--and is caught between saving his world or following his love.
Opening week
Avatar will be opening in more than 3,300 theaters in the US including 2,100 3-D locations.
The movie recorded 87 percent of weekly ticket sales at online vendor Fandango.com. At MovieTickets.com, booking for Avatar is almost done; 55 percent booked for Imax 3-D and 31 percent for regular 3-D.
The movie is expected to generate $320 million in the U.S. alone, higher than successful pictures like Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Spiderman-3, and Pirates of The Caribbean-At World’s End, which grossed $300 million each.
Avatar, which opens in 106 countries, is compared with Cameron’s last project Titanic. However, Cameron does not believe it will work like its former movie.
“I don't think this film is going to behave like 'Titanic,' where it just defies gravity, but because of the 3-D, we know historically 3-D films tend to hold in and have legs,” said the 55-year-old director.
Response so far
The film has mostly received positive reviews from film critics. Review website Rotten Tomatoes said the film had an 82 percent fresh rating.
Metacritic, a site which gives rating out of 100 reviews, holds the film as having a Universal acclaim score.
Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the movie a positive review. “The screen is alive with more action and the soundtrack pops with more robust music than any dozen sci-fi shoot-'em-ups you care to mention,” he said.
Many others, however, criticized the movie, saying that it was hackneyed and that the special effects caused them uneasiness.
Film Critic Armond White of the New York Press said the film was the “corniest movie ever made about the white man’s need to lose his identity and assuage racial, political, sexual and historical guilt”.
One viewer said, “I definitely would not eat before seeing the film.”