Released in the United Kingdom, then the States, and then the rest of the world around December 18, 2009, James Cameron’s science fiction film, Avatar, is a movie that stole the hearts of so many people around the globe.
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This movie is about a highly evolved alien species called Na’vi who live on a planet called Pandora. The environment is a poisonous one and because of that, the Na’vi have been using Avatars, a species that is half human and half Na’vi, and linking their minds together with humans to be able to roam free without consequence and risking their health.
A human named Jake Sully, an ex-marine who was disabled and paralyzed in combat, ends up falling in love with a Na’vi woman after they’ve become linked. As their bond grows more and more, Jake ends up finding himself with a battle with Na’vi for the planet’s survival.
James Cameron, a Canadian filmmaker, was the director, writer, producer, and co-editor for the film with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana as the main stars of the cast. Other members of the cast include Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang.
The movie had even inspired American science fiction writer and teacher Steven Gould to write a book series based on the movie. After its huge success, three sequels are in the works instead of being the trilogy it was originally supposed to be.
It was extremely well known for its visual effects during production. The movie was actually delayed many times during the nineties so that film technology would be advanced enough for the visuals that Cameron wanted. He had a specific image in his mind and he didn’t want to create something until he made sure everything looked the way it was supposed to – and as we can all see, the movie was very well worth the wait.
With a budget of 237 million dollars, the film set so many records and there are multiple articles out there on each and every single one of them. In this article, we’re going to share with you information about ten out of all the records that the movie set all across the world.
10. First 3-D Film to Reach $1 Billion Worldwide
3-D movies can be a little difficult to watch sometimes, but if you’re going to see Avatar, you won’t regret it and the amount of money the film made proves that.
Avatar was the first film in 3-D to gain at least one billion dollars in ticket sales over all the world. 2,023 theatres in the United States showed the 3-D version of the film (the initial 3-D release was limited to 2,200 screens) and 90% of all the advance ticket sales went to them. Outside of the United States, 3,671 theatres were showing the 3-D edition and the IMAX 3-D format was released in 178 American theatres.
Alas, these are the facts about ten out of all the records that Avatar has set in the world for everyone to see.
This is a film that received a massive amount of positive reviews, including a positive rating of 83% on the popular movie review website, Rotten Tomatoes. With around 292 reviews, it had a rating of 7.4 out of 10.
“ A film that was created with a lot love and effort ”
The idea of having a sequel after the release of the first film was thought about and not yet confirmed, but after the amazing success it received, Cameron confirmed that he would be creating two sequels he hoped he would be able to make, turning Avatar into a trilogy.
The first sequel was supposed to be finished and released by 2015, but production was rescheduled to 2014 with hopes of releasing the three sequels that were then confirmed in December 2016, 2017, and 2018. Unfortunately, delays happened again and the new hopeful release date for the first sequel is December 2017. Cameron has said that he is writing the sequels as separate stories that are inclusive and come together.
He also said that the second sequel would have a clear ending to avoid any confusion that a cliff-hanger would cause. Even a few characters are coming back for the sequels despite what happened to them in the first movie. All of these films are to be filmed in New Zealand.
Many people will find that the movie is very overrated, just like any other film that becomes extremely successful. Avatar is a very unique, very beautiful film that was created with a lot love and effort and if you have not taken the time to give it a chance, we highly recommend you do so.
9. First Movie to Ever Reach $2 Billion Worldwide
While other films have almost gotten to that point, Avatar is the first film ever in history to reach two billion dollars worldwide after only forty five days of being in theatres.
The total amount of money reached at the time was 2.039 billion dollars. It was also the first film to gain over seven hundred million dollars in North America just seventy two days after being released on February 27.
8. Fastest Downloaded Movie in History
“ Illegally downloaded 500,000 times ”
What’s unfortunate for a lot of filmmakers is that a lot of people either can’t afford to spend $10 on a movie ticket with other priorities in the way or they simply don’t want to.
As told by Torrent Freak, Avatar was downloaded illegally 500,000 times in the two days it was released and 900,000 times during its first week of being released in theatres.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon originally held the record for most downloaded movie at 610,000 illegal downloads, but Avatar quickly surpassed that.
7. Held Number One Spot in 106 Markets During First Week of Opening
Avatar had been released in 106 markets, about 14,604 screens, and kept the number one spot in every single one during its first week of opening on December 20th. The film decided that wasn’t enough and actually continued to keep the number one spot worldwide in its second week of release and for another five weeks after that.
6. Highest Grossing Four Weeks in a Row
Avatar held the number one spot as highest grossing film four weekends in a row. These weekends included the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th week. The third weekend spot was eventually given to another film. This was the first time a film had held its spot for so long since Titanic was able to keep its number one spot for fifteen weeks.
5. Highest Grossing Film in 2009
Out of all the films released in 2009, Avatar took the number one spot after making the most money out of all the other releases that same year.
It won the spot over Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and Up.
4. Made The Most Money on New Year’s Day
A lot of people love to go to the movie theatres during the holidays with their family, New Year’s Day included. On New Year’s Day after its release, enough people went to go see Avatar making it the highest grossing film on New Year’s Day. Unfortunately, once again, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has taken over the number one spot in 2016.
3. Highest Grossing Sci-Fi Film
The first science fiction film was created in 1902. It was a French film called Le Voyage dans la Lune. (The English translation is A Trip to the Moon.) This film never made it into any high grossing territory, but some science fiction movies have.
Until Star Wars: The Force Awakens just recently took over the number one spot this year, Avatar had worn the crown. Due to its extremely high 3D ticket sales, this film is one of the reasons why other science fiction filmmakers who make a feature film are making 3D versions of their movies.
2. All Time Record in 24 Markets
“ All-time recorder in the USA ”
Not only did Avatar hit the all-time record in the United States, but also in twenty four markets and twenty nine (but twenty four currently) countries all across the world. It was shown on over fourteen thousand screens.
The film had held its record in China, India, United Kingdom, and South Korea until the films Furious 7, Skyfall, and The Admiral: Roaring Currents took the top spot a few years later. Some of the countries the record is still in place in are Germany, Russia, Australia, Spain, Singapore, and more.
1. Highest Grossing Film in History
Until recently, the 1997 film Titanic, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, was the highest grossing film at 1.843 billion dollars. As of 2010, Avatar has kicked Titanic to the side and has taken its place on the throne.
On January 25, 2010, it grossed at 1.859 billion dollars in just forty one days after the theatrical release date. 72%, or 1.35 billion dollars gross, of the ticket sales worldwide were for the 3D edition of the film. 137.1 million dollars were made in IMAX theatres around the world.