Zoe Saldana in Avatar (top); Mel Gibson in Edge of Darkness (bottom); Josh Duhamel, Kristen Bell in When in Rome (bottom)
Avatar's estimated weekend (Jan. 29-31) gross was at the higher end of expectations: $30 million, according to Box Office Mojo. That represents a relatively small 14.1 percent drop from last week. After 45 days in release, Avatar’s domestic total is $594.4m. If weekend estimates are correct, Avatar will pass James Cameron’s own Titanic at the domestic box office (not accounting for inflation or higher 3D/IMAX ticket prices) either Tuesday or Wednesday next week. The Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet romantic melodrama grossed $600.4 million back in 1998.
Also this weekend, Avatar broke the $2 billion mark in worldwide earnings. It's now at $2.039 billion. The low dollar and higher ticket prices have helped its overseas revenues quite a bit.
Avatar has received nominations from the French Academy, the British Academy, the American Cinema Editors, the American Society of Cinematographers, the Writers Guild, the Art Directors Guild, and the Costume Designers Guild. Last Sunday, it lost the Producers Guild Award to Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker. Last night, James Cameron lost the Directors Guild Award to his former wife Bigelow, the first woman to ever win the DGA prize for narrative feature.
Written and directed by Cameron, the best picture (drama) and best director Golden Globe winner stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Laz Alonso, Giovanni Ribisi, CCH Pounder, and West Studi.
Mel Gibson’s comeback vehicle Edge of Darkness opened at a distant second, with $17.1m. Some had been predicting higher figures — in the range of $20-22m. Edge of Darkness is Gibson's first film since M. Night Shyamalan's 2002 horror/sci-fi Signs.
Another new movie, the Josh Duhamel-Kristen Bell romantic comedy When in Rome, opened with an acceptable $12m.
At 3,066 locations, Edge of Darkness averaged a relatively low $5,584 per screen. For comparison’s sake, Avatar’s average on its seventh weekend — even considering 3D/IMAX premium surcharges — was a much higher $9,759. When in Rome's average was $4.912.
Photo: Avatar (WETA / 20th Century Fox); Edge of Darkness (Warner Bros.); When in Rome (Philippe Antonello / Touchstone Pictures)