According to Hollywood.com, in 2010 James Cameron's Avatar grossed $465m of its $749m at the domestic box office. The Na'vi's ability to bring people to (more expensive) 3D/IMAX theaters has helped to offset what has been otherwise a highly disappointing year, with underperformers such as Robin Hood, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Sex and the City 2.
Although revenues are up 3.65 percent largely thanks to costlier ticket prices (3D surely has played a big role in that), total attendance is down an estimated 2.74 percent to 561.9 million admissions, as Michael Cieply explains in the New York Times. (Whether Hollywood.com has factored in 3D/IMAX surcharges when calculating the number of tickets sold remains unclear.)
But if the late 2009 release Avatar is taken out of the picture, attendance in 2010 would then be down 12.9 percent and revenues 7.1 percent, as per Hollywood.com calculations.
Other 3D movies that have helped to keep box-office registers ringing this year are Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, How to Train Your Dragon, and Shrek Forever After. In fact, five or the year's top six (including Avatar) box-office hits have been 3D releases.
Photo: WETA / 20th Century Fox