Thompson on Hollywood

Avatar to Lose 3-D and IMAX Screens, Still Breaks Records

We all know that Avatar has broken all box office records, unseating former king of the world Titanic. The James Cameron sci-fi epic holds the record for domestic ($690 million) and worldwide ($2.5 billion) gross.

By Anne Thompson
|
February 25, 2010 1:55 AM
|
9 Comments

More:

Weekend B.O.: In Seventh Week, Avatar Beats Edge of Darkness

At the weekend box office, Avatar grossed another $30-million, beating all comers for the 7th weekend in a row, including Mel Gibson's return to the screen in thriller Edge of Darkness, which despite earning mixed reviews scored $17 million. Avatar only needs a little more than $6 million to overtake Titanic as top domestic b.o.-grosser, and should do so by mid-week. Patrick Goldstein puts Avatar's grosses in perspective, adjusting for inflation. Another question: does Avatar's rolling b.o. success help or hurt with Oscar voters?

By Anne Thompson
|
January 31, 2010 6:52 AM
|
5 Comments

More:

#Sundance: Aamir Khan Talks 3 Idiots, May Release Peepli Live Himself

How strange that I should land my first interview with my favorite Bollywood star, Aamir Khan, at Sundance. That's because he came to town as the producer of an indie political satire, Peepli Live, which is the first film from India to be accepted at Sundance-- in the world cinema competition. Khan read the script from rookie director Anusha Rizvi and agreed to back it. She cast the film largely with unknowns, including theater actor Omkar Das Manikpuri. (Here's a review from The Hollywood Reporter.)

By Anne Thompson
|
January 30, 2010 3:47 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Avatar Heads Toward Titanic Record

Avatar has grossed $429 million domestically, which means that it only needs to gross $172 million to pass Titanic as the top-grossing film of all time. “That's a steep climb," states MovieTickets.com Executive Vice President Walt Borchers, "but with the volume of ticket buying we've seen on our site over the past month, there is a very good chance that it could, in fact, break Titanic's record."

By Anne Thompson
|
January 13, 2010 9:34 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Expands

After a successful platform launch in four theaters, Sony Pictures Classics will expand The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus to about 400 theaters on January 8. Not sure how many moviegoers will be wooed by this TV spot. Most likely the film, Heath Ledger's last, will sell well when it is released on DVD, when the movie's devoted fan site will be included in the extras.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 5, 2010 5:04 AM
|
6 Comments

More:

Holiday Winners and Losers: Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Streep, Bullock and Nine

Where are we, after the record-breaking holiday? There were many winners.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 5, 2010 2:00 AM
|
8 Comments

More:

Avatar Breaks $1 Billion Worldwide Mark After 17 Days

Avatar is now the 4th-highest grossing movie of all time. It has broken $1 billion. Already.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 3, 2010 8:00 AM
|
5 Comments

More:

Last Post of 2009: Avatar Passes 800 Million, Year and Decade Wraps, Gilliam's First Short

Twelve years after Titanic, another late-year James Cameron release is climbing the box office charts. I thought I was safe with my estimate of $1 billion worldwide ($400 m domestic, $600 foreign). But Avatar is already passing $800 million! It could challenge Titanic's $1.8 billion record after all.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 1, 2010 2:25 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Holiday Biopics: Young Victoria, Creation, Me and Orson Welles

Three period biopics with awards hopes face some tough going over the holidays.

By Anne Thompson
|
December 31, 2009 3:10 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Holiday Movie Wrap: Avatar Beats Sherlock Holmes, Nine Flops

Over the holiday weekend, the two most popular topics on my Twitter feed were Avatar and Sherlock Holmes. While there was debate on Sherlock Holmes's merits, most of my tweeters approved of Cameron's blockbuster (as did critics--it scored 83 on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic). Avatar looks to challenge, if not beat, Titanic's box office records, based on its extraordinary performance in North America so far: $75 million over the holiday and $212 million to date. (Here's the LAT's box office report, and David Poland's analysis.)