# Predicting Cameron's Avatar: Waterworld or Titanic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638 "2009-12-01T23:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/341 "2009-12-30T19:51:37Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Few things: Perhaps they didn’t know? They also had no time to prepare and lacked the man-power, by a magnitude of what, 1,700, that took place during the final battle. Possibly. But IMO, if you can see the damned things bouncing straight off the windows with no effect, why wouldn’t you go grab your flying mount and a bigger spear? Especially when you know that these people are coming to destroy your home. It just seemed ridiculous to me that they went straight from “completely impotent and ineffectual” to “we are totally fucking your shit up.” ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/342 "2009-12-30T19:59:34Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Possibly. But IMO, if you can see the damned things bouncing straight off the windows with no effect, why wouldn’t you go grab your flying mount and a bigger spear? Especially when you know that these people are coming to destroy your home. It just seemed ridiculous to me that they went straight from “completely impotent and ineffectual” to “we are totally fucking your shit up.” I think, again, that’s due to being prepared and having numbers. They knew what didn’t work, they were pissed off, and gathered numbers far greater than what they had before. And things looked pretty damn hectic during that first battle; I think they were more concerned with staying alive and protecting their kin than somehow formulating a battle plan among the chaos. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/343 "2009-12-30T20:14:04Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > As far as challenging Titanic, isn’t it inevitable due to the rise in movie ticket prices? This is why I think Box Office is a poor way to measure popularity. It ought to be exclusively based on ticket sales. But the Media likes to throw around dollar amounts instead, because the numbers sound more impressive. Ticket sales are measured by some agencies, though, which a few sites do include as part of their statistics. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/344 "2009-12-30T20:43:02Z")
The military plot hole that pulled me out of the movie was the idea that a Marine couldn’t think of just dropping big rocks into the rotary wings that were on all the attack vehicles. Even if you had to tie vines to the rocks so the animals could grab and carry them, it would be worth it. You could destroy a lot of the force before it even knew you were there. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/345 "2010-01-01T16:08:54Z")
Avatar has continued [strongly](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=avatar.htm)during the week racking up 56 million in the US in the first three weekdays. The record for the third weekend is 45 million and Avatar is going to blow that away with something like 65 million. It might even get a third consecutive 70+ weekend which would be remarkable. The weekdays afterward will reveal a lot about where Avatar is going. Right now it seems headed for 450 in the US but if it continues strongly we could be talking a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/346 "2010-01-01T16:10:17Z")
Avatar will pass the 1b worldwide mark either this weekend or next weekend. Also, I’d like to comment on those who cannot comprehend that this thread isn’t about spoiling the plot for people. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/347 "2010-01-01T18:08:58Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Avatar will pass the 1b worldwide mark either this weekend or next weekend. > > Also, I’d like to comment on those who cannot comprehend that this thread isn’t about spoiling the plot for people. Meh. Anyone who’s read 7-pages deep and hasn’t yet seen a movie that’s been out for nearly 3 weeks has it coming. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/348 "2010-01-01T18:47:16Z")
Anyway this thread is about box-office. There is another massive thread to discuss the actual movie. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/349 "2010-01-01T18:50:42Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Anyway this thread is about box-office. There is another massive thread to discuss the actual movie. Right, but if someone brings up a story related point, it pretty much has to be responded to in here. There’s plenty of room in this thread for both; side-convos happen all the time on the dope, as well I’m sure you know. ETA: Let’s not forget about that “avatar” etymology mess that you were involved in. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/350 "2010-01-01T22:59:50Z")
I think it will pull in some hefty dollars this weekend but then we’ll see the drop-off. On Monday everyone’s vacation is over. Back to work, back to school, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/351 "2010-01-02T02:29:14Z")
Most college kids have another week off, so that could help next week but there’ll still be a sizeable drop. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/352 "2010-01-02T02:45:29Z")
It’s already made it’s money back, so it doesn’t really matter. It didn’t tank. This movie is a massive hit by ordinary standards. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/353 "2010-01-02T02:55:11Z")
Several of my inlaws saw it and concluded independently that it is a remake of “Ferngully.” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/354 "2010-01-02T03:03:29Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Most college kids have another week off, so that could help next week but there’ll still be a sizeable drop. All movies have a sizeable drop, usually a lot sooner than this, so I don’t think that will worry anybody. Though, having said that, his last film expected to take a hit at this point, and unprecedentedly did not. I don’t know if that could happen again without the girly contingent this time, and with the anticipated BluRay release affecting cinema-going habits, but stranger things have happened. I wouldn’t quite rule out an unusual continuation of high returns. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/355 "2010-01-03T01:26:54Z")
Avatar has passed the $300 million mark in the US, and is almost at $500 million overseas. The current worldwide total, _before counting this weekend’s totals_, is [$785,203,825](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avatar.htm). In 15 days. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/356 "2010-01-04T01:20:30Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#): > > **Predicting Cameron’s Avatar: Waterworld or Titanic?** Titanic. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/357 "2010-01-04T01:23:31Z")
Avatar has passed the 1b mark. > **[Avatar - Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl876971521/)** Domestic: $352,111,000 34.6% - Foreign: $666,700,000 65.4% = Worldwide: $1,018,811,000 ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/358 "2010-01-04T03:01:58Z")
Over a billion in 17 days. Wow. It jumped from #29 on the [All Time (domestic) chart](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm), to #15. In one day. Edit to add, **Just Some Guy** , think it’ll make back its budget now? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/359 "2010-01-04T03:04:52Z")
Another article on it passing the $1b mark. Whew!: [http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/03/boxoffice.avatar.ew/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/03/boxoffice.avatar.ew/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638/360 "2010-01-04T03:17:33Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Over a billion in 17 days. Wow. It jumped from #29 on the [All Time (domestic) chart](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm), to #15. In one day. > Edit to add, **Just Some Guy** , think it’ll make back its budget now? Not **Just Some Guy** here, but we are talking about Hollywood accounting here, so who knows. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-camerons-avatar-waterworld-or-titanic/519638.md?page=19)