Avatar is a 2009 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. The film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Michelle Rodriguez . The movie is set in 2154 on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. People from earth are engaged in mining Pandora’s natural resources and precious mineral. Pandora is home to the Na’vi—a race of blue skinned humanoids. The Na’vi resists the colonists’ expansion, which threatens the continued survival of the Na’vi and the Pandoran ecosystem. The movie’s title refers to the genetically created bodies used by the film’s characters to interrelate with the Na’vi.
Avatar started development in 1994 by James Cameron, who initially wrote an 80-page script for the film. Filming was supposed to start right after completion of Titanic, and the film was intended for release in 1999, but according to James Cameron, “the technology during that time needed to catch up” with his vision of what the film should be. During 2006, Cameron continued to develop the script, as well as the language and culture of the Na’vi. He mentioned that sequels are quite possible if Avatar turned out to be successful, and with the tremendous success of this expensive film, Cameron has confirmed that there would be a sequel.
A few hundred million dollars is a lot to spend on a movie that features pointy-eared blue aliens – but that is exactly what Fox Features has done in its 3D science –fiction movie. Avatar is definitely an expensive film by any standard. “Avatar,” which the movie studio says is the most expensive film it has ever made.
In a CNN interview before the film’s worldwide release last December, James Gianopulos, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, won’t say the exact amount spent on the science fiction blockbuster.
Trying to guess the actual sum of the latest expensive film from director Cameron has been a popular pastime for several months. A Wall Street Journal article first speculated the film’s final tally exceeded $300 million, making it the most expensive film ever.
Avatar opened last December 18, 2009 to critical acclaim and box-office success. It grossed $27 million on opening day in the United States and Canada. On opening weekend, this James Cameron expensive film grossed over $77 million in the United States and Canada and to a tune of $232 million worldwide. Within three weeks after its release, it has a worldwide gross of over $1 billion, the expensive film became the second highest-grossing film of all time around the world, second only to another Cameron film, Titanic.
Only 17 days after its premiere, James Cameron’s Avatar will be among the most successful films in history by becoming only the fifth film to gross over $ 1 billion in worldwide box office sales.
To put that in perspective, The Dark Knight took 231 days to pass the $1 billion mark in 2008 and Cameron’s other blockbuster Titanic, took 44 days to reach a billion.
This article was written by Alexis.
Tags: avatar, expensive film, james cameron