Avatar is Number 1
Avatar was the top grossing film over the weekend and brought in an estimated $73 million dollars in the United States.
The numbers probably aren’t as high as the studio would have hoped considering the film came with a price tag of more than $300 million, but the performance is nothing to shrug at. Avatar’s opening is the highest debut ever for a 3D movie and the second-best opening weekend in December. The highest grossing opening weekend in December still does to Will Smith’s 2007 zombie movie, I Am Legend.
Avatar’s success is largely believed to be due to the extremely positive press the movie has received from movie reviewers. According to Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie review site, 83% of Avatar reviews have been positive. And those reviews are only being helped by the glowing recommendations coming from users on twitter and the blogosphere.
Experts believe that the movie’s lower than expected numbers could be due to the inclement weather most of the country experienced over the weekend. Experts believe that the movie’s success will only improve once moviegoers don’t have to face a blizzard in order to get to the theater. IMAX screenings of the film reportedly sold every seat available over the weekend, which could mean a steady stream of viewers waiting to see the #D film on an even bigger big screen.
Even though Avatar made less than $73 million in the United States, it could already be well on its way to making back the money it cost to produce it. The country’s international earnings are estimated to be more than $232.2 million. So with just a couple more weekend half as successful as the opening, Avatar might not just be one of the most expensive movies ever made, but one of the most successful, too.
