Avatar grossed $4.7 million on Wednesday, Jan. 13, according to figures released at Box Office Mojo. Compared to Tuesday, its earnings dropped by only 6.4 percent. After 27 days out, James Cameron's ecologically conscious sci-fi adventure has taken in a remarkable $445.7 million at the domestic box office. Avatar is now #4 on the all-time domestic box-office chart (not adjusted for inflation or higher 3D/IMAX ticket prices), having just passed Shrek 2. It'll surely be #3 by Monday, ahead of George Lucas' Stars Wars ($460m), and behind The Dark Knight and Titanic.
Written and directed by Cameron, Avatar stars Sam Worthington (photo), Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Laz Alonso, Giovanni Ribisi, CCH Pounder, and West Studi. Although it has been accused of being racist, paganistic, anti-American, and pro-smoking, the film has received nominations from the American Cinema Editors, the American Society of Cinematographers, the Writers Guild, the Art Directors Guild, the Directors Guild and the Producers Guild. It's also up for a Best Film (drama) Golden Globe and it'll likely be either the leader or one of the leaders when the Oscar nominations are announced on Feb. 2.
Following significant increases on Tuesday, most movies saw their revenues drop on Wednesday. In second place, Guy Ritchie's actioner Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, earned $1.2m (-14.2%), while the Nancy Meyers-directed, Meryl Streep-Alec Baldwin-Steve Martin romantic comedy It's Complicated took in $1.06m (-7.7%). In 4th place, the vampire flick Daybreakers, starring Ethan Hawke, grossed a little less than $900K (-20%).
George Clooney's multiple-award winner Up in the Air was #5 ($654K), followed by Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel at #6 ($613K). Rounding out the top 10 were the Amy Adams-Matthew Goode romantic comedy Leap Year, Sandra Bullock's long-legged The Blind Side, Michael Cera's comedy Youth in Revolt, and Disney's The Princess and the Frog.
Only a notch behind Did You Hear About the Morgans?, the Robert Pattinson-Kristen Stewart-Taylor Lautner drama The Twilight Saga: New Moon added $135K at #14 on the list. New Moon has been out for 55 days. I wonder if it'll still be playing when The Twilight Saga: Eclipse opens on June 30.
Photo: Mark Fellman / 20th Century Fox
Hi Michael,
Thanks for writing.
It's our editorial policy to add "not accounting for inflation" or some such whenever making box office comparisons among films released many years or decades apart, or whenever saying that "such and such movie broke box-office records."
AVATAR is different in that it's also making most of its money at 3D/IMAX venues that charge premiums. So, it's also the blog's editorial policy that we should tell our readers about that fact to keep things in context.
We've "chatted" before, but many people are newcomers. This post may be their first Alt Film Guide visit. That's why I'm supposed to repeat "3D/IMAX/inflation" each time I post about AVATAR's all-time box-office records.
In no way is that a comment on James Cameron's technological or artistic achievements.
Hi Michelle,
Me again. I notice that every time you report on Avatar's Box Office, you caveat it by saying "not adjusted for inflation or higher 3D ticket prices". I have a thought about the 3D ticket prices and I ask you to consider it. You are treating it as if Cameron's decision to "go for it" with 3D was a "done deal" — that he would automatically get benefit from it. I disagree. It was a gamble. He was rolling the dice and saying he would do it in 3D, and then he would deliver an experience that would JUSTIFY the higher price. Audiences could have said — no way — there's a recession — I won't pay the extra $3 for 3D — and Cameron could have had the disaster many were predicting. But he delivered an experience that the audience has judged worthy of the 3D surcharge. I do not think you can discount his accomplishment for the 3D surcharge. For the general increase in ticket prices since Titanic — yes. It should be adjusted for that. But not for 3D ticket prices. That could have been his Waterloo had he not delivered an extraordinary experience.