Yes, of course James Cameron’s Avatar emerged victorious at the box office this weekend. Did anyone have any doubt? It didn’t knock it out of the park nearly as far as New Moon, though.
Here is the top five at the box office this weekend:
1. NEW! Avatar (Fox) – $77 mil; 3,452 theaters; $22,313 PT
2. The Princess and the Frog (Buena Vista) – $12.1 mil; 3,475 theaters; $3,507 PT; $44.7 mil cume
3. The Blind Side (Warner Bros.) – $10 mil; 3,407 theaters; $2,941 PT; $164.7 mil cume
4. NEW! Did You Hear About the Morgans? (Sony) – $6.61 mil; 2,718 theaters; $2,434 PT
5. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Summit Ent.) – $4.4 mil; 3,035 theaters; $1,452 PT; $274.5 mil cume
Now, while Avatar beat Titanic‘s opening numbers, I’m not sure Avatar will have the same kind of lasting power as James Cameron’s 1997 blockbusting Best Picture winner. Not enough teenage girls clamoring to see it again and again (hence, New Moon‘s success). Titanic is still the record holder as the highest grossing movie of all-time, but Avatar should make some decent coin over the next few months – at least enough to recoup the cost it took to make it.
This coming Christmas weekend should be another banner one at the movies – if the weather holds out. We’ve got the Squeakquel to Alvin and the Chipmunks, Meryl Streep and Alex Baldwin playing footsie in It’s Complicated and Robert Downey Jr. as the sly Sherlock Holmes. Personally, I’m rooting for Sherlock, since I’ve seen it and LOVED it (review to come). I’m hoping it’ll open big and become a more attractive Best Picture contender. Here’s the trailer again, enjoy!