14 DAY TRIAL // James Cameron’s latest movie, the daring “Avatar,” has grossed $232 million at the international box office over the opening weekend, of which only $73 million were ticket sales in North American theaters, the BBC informs. At this point in time, it is very difficult to estimate whether the film will actually manage to turn a profit by holding on at the top spot of the box office, industry insiders say.
Still, this makes of “Avatar” Cameron’s biggest opening ever – and, just in case there are any doubts, that’s no small feat for the man behind “Titanic” and “Terminator,” analysts say. However, though the gross at the international box office was good over the weekend that ended on Sunday, it was somewhat of a letdown in terms of ticket sales in the US, which has prompted studio execs to brand the release “a little soft.”
“Sci-fi epic Avatar has topped the North American box office, taking $73m (£45.3m) on its opening weekend. James Cameron’s much-hyped 3D film also took an estimated $232.2m (£144.1m) worldwide – the ninth biggest opening to date, 20th Century Fox said. Disney’s ‘The Princess and the Frog’ slipped to second, with $12.2m (£7.6m). Drama ‘The Blind Side’ dropped to three while the Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy ‘Did You Hear About the Morgans?’ came in at four,” the BBC informs.
With a budget said to be anywhere between $300 million (plus marketing, as per the official line) and $500 million (again, plus marketing, according to estimates in the industry), the question of whether “Avatar” would prove a wise investment has been on the lips of many even before the release. People close to the project, though, are certain that this will prove to be the case, even if industry insiders say that this is a tough prediction to make, especially because of the mixed reaction the film got with critics and moviegoers.
“Chris Aronson, said there was ‘no question’ the studio had made a good investment. ‘The word of mouth is something that I don’t know I’ve ever seen in this business before,’ he said. Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com, said: ‘What they spent on this movie was totally justified and they’re going to more than earn it back’,” the BBC further says.
On a final note, one might also add that, if the budget for the film was closer to the $300 region as the studio claims it was, given that it has already made $232 million, it’s one step closer to turning a profit. Keep an eye on this space for updates.