RECENT 3D FEATURE FILMS
BY THE NUMBERS

Here's a list of how well some of the recent 3D feature films performed at the box office. These results are not adjusted for inflation and are collected from BoxOfficeMojo.com.

This list includes only 3D movies that have grossed $100 million or more worldwide.

The totals do include the revenue from theaters where these films were also shown in 2D. The list is sorted by highest worldwide gross (total lifetime grosses).

AVATAR
RELEASE DATE: 18.12.09
CLOSE DATE:
# OF THEATERS: 3,461
BUDGET:
WORLDWIDE: $2,727,125,398

Alice in Wonderland
Release Date: 05.03.10
Close Date: July 8, 2010
# of Theaters: 3,739
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide: $1,024,297,771

Toy Story 3
Release Date: 18.06.10
Close Date:
# of Theaters: 4,028
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide: $940,067,000

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Release Date: 01.07.2009
Close Date: 22.11.2009
# of Theaters: 4,102 (3D - 1,606)
Budget: $90 million
Worldwide: $883,718,521

Pixar's UP
Release Date: 29.05.2009
Close Date: 05.11.2009
# of Theaters: 3,886 (3D - 1,534)
Budget: $175 million
Worldwide: $683,004,164

Shrek Forever After
Release Date: 21.05.10
Close Date:
# of Theaters: 4,386
Budget: $165 million
Worldwide: $677,730,000

How to Train Your Dragon
Release Date: 26.03.10
Close Date: July 22, 2010
# of Theaters: 4,060 theaters
Budget: $165 million
Worldwide: $488,081,231

Monsters vs. Aliens
Release Date: 27.03.2009
Close Date: 27.08.2009
# of Theaters: 4,136 (3D - 1,550)
Budget: $175 million
Worldwide: $379,882,046

A Christmas Carol
Release Date: 06.11.09
Close Date: February 4, 2010
# of Theaters: 3,683
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide: $323,565,004

Bolt
Release Date: 21.11.2008
Close Date: 22.02.2009
# of Theaters: 3,654 (3D - 982)
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide: $291,705,768

G-Force
Release Date: July 24, 2009
Close Date: 03.12.2009
# of Theaters: 3,697 (3D - 1,604)
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide: $283,336,770

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Release Date: 11.07.2008
Close Date: 11.12.2008
# of Theaters: 2,830 (3D - 854)
Budget: $60 million
Worldwide: $241,572,726

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Release Date: 18.09.09
Close Date: 06.12.09
# of Theaters: 3,119
Budget: $100 million
Worldwide: $194,812,488

The Final Destination
Release Date: 28.08.09
Close Date: 26.11.09
# of Theaters: 3,121
Budget: $40 million
Worldwide: $152,613,997

Coraline
Release Date: 06.02.09
Close Date: 02.07.2009
# of Theaters: 2,320 (3D - 1,005)
Budget: $60 million
Worldwide: $115,025,313

Tron Legacy
Release Date: 17.12.10
Close Date:
# of Theaters:
Budget: Unknown
Worldwide:

The series of articles below is a chronological look at the amazing run Avatar made at the box office. All articles are excerpt highlights, click on the source link for the complete article.

Avatar Advance Sales Heating Up
IMAX Reports 90 Global Sell Outs So Far
Excerpt: hollywoodwiretap.com

December 15, 2009 - "Avatar" is way out in front of all other movies for online vendors MovieTickets.com and Fandango.com. Fandango reported 76% of sales were for the sci-fi tale set on a distant planet, and MovieTickets had recorded 68% as of 11 a.m. Eastern time. MovieTickets also reported 188 screenings had already sold out in markets across the U.S, and dozens more were sold out at theaters served by Fandango.

Imax reported 178 venues domestically are booked for "Avatar: An Imax 3D Experience" and another 83 locations abroad in the company's widest theatrical release yet. Imax has recorded 90 sellouts so far worldwide.

FIRST DAY: $27 MILLION!
Best opening day for a Fox film outside of summer
Excerpt: variety.com

December 19, 2009 - Opening 12 years, almost to the day, after his behemoth film "Titanic," James Cameron�s 3D sci-fi spectacle "Avatar" drew a strong $27 million in its first day at the box office from 3,452 theaters.

First day for 'Avatar' is the highest for a Twentieth Century Fox release opening outside the summer frame. Previous champ was 2006's "Ice Age: The Meltdown" which took in $21.8 million. Among all opening days which are Fridays in December, "Avatar" ranks behind Will Smith�s 2007 sci-fi tentpole "I Am Legend" which grossed $30.1 million.

Sherlock Holmes & Avatar running neck-to-neck
for box office crown
Excerpt: examiner.com

December 27, 2009 - In what is shaping up to be the most competitive box office battle of the year, Guy Ritchie�s action-comedy Sherlock Holmes and James Cameron�s science fiction epic Avatar are performing neck-to-neck according to Friday estimates released by their respective studios. Sherlock Holmes which pulled in an estimated $24.8 million for Friday � its opening day � is the film currently leading the battle.

20th Century Fox�s Avatar Was close behind in second place, bringing in a solid $23.5 million on Friday. Avatar has been performing exceptionally well over the week and is benefiting from sensational word-of-mouth.

Avatar Breaks Dark Knight's 2nd Weekend Record
Excerpt: boxofficemojo.com

December 29, 2009 - Living up to its hype as the event picture of the season, Avatar was monolithic with $75.6 million, down a mere two percent from its opening. Though boosted by the Christmas holiday, it nonetheless broke the record for highest-grossing second weekend ever, edging out The Dark Knight's $75.2 million.

The sci-fi adventure's 3D sites accounted for a 3D-record-setting $57.9 million of the weekend, and the picture posted another rousing performance in IMAX, which contributed an estimated $8.8 million of the weekend gross. In ten days, its tally stands at a whopping $212.7 million, including $158.7 million from 3D sites.

Avatar Continues To Soar Heading Into
Another Big Weekend | Excerpt: nytimes.com

January 1, 2010 - With no new releases opening, James Cameron's "Avatar" should be the top overall draw once again in what is likely to be a very busy holiday weekend. Without any new competition, "Avatar" could become the first release ever to earn $50 million on three different weekends as it continues to dominate the box office both domestically and in foreign markets.

Heading into its third weekend, "Avatar" has already hauled in more than $250 million domestically and $700 million worldwide, making it a top five overall earner for 2009 releases already. "Avatar" is on track to topple "Transformers: Revenge Fallen" as the number one domestic release of 2009.

'Avatar' rings in the new year as the leader of the Friday Night Five at the box office
Excerpt: examiner.com

January 2, 2010 - Audiences around the world seem more than happy to book return trips to Pandora as "Avatar" continued to dominate the global box office at the start of its third week. As of New Year's Day, James Cameron's sci-fi epic is projected to top the Friday Night Five and is on track to earn as much as $341 million in its first 17 days. Early estimates indicate "Avatar" earned $24 million on New Year's Day, bringing its North American cume up to a titanic $307.8 million and climbing.

Avatar Box Office: ONE BILLION!!!
Excerpt: comingsoon.net

January 4, 2010 - Internationally, Avatar has grossed $670.2 million which brings its worldwide total to $1.02 billion, making it the fourth-highest grossing movie worldwide EVER, and that's after being in theaters for only 17 days, too. It has surpassed the worldwide gross for The Dark Knight and only needs $46 million more to beat Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

What's so remarkable about the movie's success, besides how much of that money is being made in 3D and IMAX venues, is that Avatar is also the biggest non-sequel since George Lucas' original Star Wars and Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.

Excerpt: abcnews.go.com

January 6, 2010 - Shares of Imax Corp. rose Tuesday, lifted by strong box-office sales of the popular science fiction thriller "Avatar." The stock hit a 52-week high of $13.92 in morning trading before settling back by midday to $13.74, up 43 cents, or 3.2 percent, from Monday's close. "Avatar," now in its third week in theaters, has pulled in about $67 million on jumbo Imax screens worldwide, according to company figures released after the market close Monday. Imax, which is based in Mississauga, Ontario, said the film sold a record $8.7 million worth of tickets in the U.S. during the weekend of Jan. 1-3.

Sci-fi Epic Avatar Boosts Cineworld Source: thisismoney.co.uk

January 9, 2010 - Sci-fi blockbuster Avatar gave a welcome yuletide lift to Britain's second largest cinema chain. James Cameron's epic, which has already grossed more than $1bn at box offices worldwide, helped Cineworld's underlying ticket sales rise 14.6% last year. An array of other recent smashes, such as teen favourite The Twilight Saga: New Moon, fuelled a strong pick-up in the final two months of 2009. Ticket sales at the 77-cinema chain grew by 10.9% between January and October. Shares in Cineworld rose 0.5p to 164p.

Avatar is Weekend's No. 1 Film, 2nd Highest Grossing Film Ever
Excerpt: businessweek.com

January 11, 2010 - �Avatar� was the top film in the U.S. and Canada for the fourth straight weekend with $48.5 million in sales for News Corp.�s Twentieth Century Fox, while becoming the second-highest-grossing film ever. �Avatar,� the 3-D adventure from director James Cameron, has taken in $1.34 billion worldwide since its Dec. 18 release, placing it second in terms of total receipts. Cameron�s �Titanic,� released in 1997, is the top-grossing movie of all time with $1.84 billion. News Corp.�s Fox ranked second among the six major studios in U.S. ticket sales last year with $1.65 billion, according to Box Office Mojo, based in Sherman Oaks, California.

Excerpt: boxofficemojo.com

January 19, 2010 - For the four-day Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, Avatar pulled in an estimated $54.6 million, eclipsing Cloverfield's $46.1 million as the biggest gross the holiday period has ever seen. Avatar hovered atop the box office for the fifth weekend in a row, the first time that's happened since The Sixth Sense back in 1999, and it racked up several other milestones in the process. Its total stands at a monumental $505.1 million in 32 days, making it the fastest picture to cross the $500 million mark.

The Dark Knight did it in 45 days, while Titanic took 98 days (or 50 days adjusted for ticket price inflation). With a $42.8 million Friday-to-Sunday take, Avatar not only had the smallest decline of the weekend (15 percent), but it broke the record for highest-grossing fifth weekend, formerly held by Titanic's $30 million (though it still retains the crown in terms of attendance). At the foreign box office, Avatar continued to rage, blazing past the $1 billion mark in record time and delivering the biggest fifth week gross ever.

From 111 markets, it generated $128.5 million, which was down 15 percent from last week, and its total climbed to $1.115 billion. That included a record-setting debut in its final market, Italy, where it made $15.2 million. China, though, was Avatar's top market of the week at $17.9 million, and the movie is already the country's highest grosser ever with $75.6 million in the till. Avatar also took that honor in South Korea with a $70.7 million tally. France remains Avatar's biggest market overall with $115.3 million.

Excerpt: comingsoon.net

January 25, 2010 - For the sixth week straight, the box office is all about James Cameron's Avatar, as it added another $36 million this weekend to set a new record for a movie's sixth weekend gross. More importantly, it has now grossed $552.8 million domestically, making it the second-highest grossing movie domestically, passing The Dark Knight's $533.3 million over the weekend and putting it in sight to cross Titanic's long-standing record of $600.8 million sometime next month. Internationally, Avatar earned $107 million this weekend to push its overseas total to a massive $1.28 billion, surpassing Titanic's previous international record of $1.24 billion. Worldwide, the film has collected $1.836 billion and is about to surpass Titanic's global record of $1.843 billion.

Avatar Breaks Titanic's Foreign Record
Excerpt: boxofficemojo.com

January 25, 2010 - Avatar kept trucking over the weekend, boasting not only the biggest gross by far but also the smallest decline among nationwide releases. James Cameron's juggernaut calmed by just 18 percent, which was almost as small as Titanic at the same point. Raking in $34.9 million, Avatar broke the record for sixth weekend gross formerly held by Titanic's $25.2 million (though Titanic retains the crown in terms of estimated attendance). On Saturday, its 37th day, Avatar surpassed The Dark Knight's $533.3 million total to become the second highest-grossing movie of all time, though, in terms of attendance, it likely hasn't yet cracked the Top 50.

At its current trajectory, Avatar will exceed Titanic's $600.8 million total within two weeks. In 38 days, Avatar's tally stands at $551.7 million, 80 percent of which from 3D presentations (including 16 percent from IMAX venues alone). Overseas, Avatar had another $100 million plus gross, easing just 16 percent from holdovers alone and setting a new sixth week benchmark. On Saturday, it laid claim to a record that was once deemed unobtainable: biggest foreign gross ever, eclipsing Titanic's $1.24 billion.

He Doth Surpass Himself: Avatar Outperforms Titanic
Source: nytimes.com

January 26, 2010 - James Cameron�s science-fiction epic �Avatar� has passed his �Titanic� to become history�s highest-grossing film, with a sizable boost from higher-priced tickets for 3-D and Imax showings. �Avatar,� like other contemporary films, has also benefited from the steady inflation of ticket prices �today�s average is $7.46, up from $4.69 in 1998 when �Titanic� was in theaters � meaning that �Titanic� had to sell many more tickets to reach box-office totals like �Avatar�s.� But �Avatar� remains poised to keep going for weeks if not months.

Through Monday its ticket sales around the world reached $1.86 billion, edging past the $1.84 billion in sales posted by �Titanic,� which came out in December 1997, according to figures released Tuesday by 20th Century Fox. Fox released �Avatar� around the world; it split the distribution of �Titanic� with Paramount Pictures. Through Monday �Avatar� took in about $554.9 million in domestic theaters, placing it just behind �Titanic,� with sales of $600.8 million, in the domestic box-office rankings, and just ahead of �The Dark Knight,� a Warner Brothers film from 2008, which took in $533.3 million.

By Carl DiOrio | Source: reuters.com

January 30, 2010 - James Cameron's "Avatar" will put a seventh notch in its domestic box office belt this weekend. The sci-fi epic looks likely to register more than $25 million through Sunday, and that should be plenty to top the weekend charts despite two potentially appealing wide openers set to hit theaters Friday. "Avatar's" winning streak still pales in comparison to "Titanic's" 15-week run in 1997-98. Its stay at the top is likely to last until at least Valentine's Day weekend, which coincides with the U.S. Presidents Day holiday.

Avatar continues its winning streak in the Saturday box office
Excerpt: mtv.com

January 31, 2010 - After seven straight weeks in theaters, you didn't really think that Avatar would fall from the top of the charts, did you? James Cameron's science fiction epic continued to barrel ahead of the competition on Friday with a $7.5 million intake, bringing the record-smashing film's cumulative domestic tally up to $572 million. Already, Avatar has taken the all-time worldwide record away from Titanic, Cameron's previous record holder, though the 1997 Oscar winner remains the film to beat when it comes to the domestic box office with a $600.8 million total.

Avatar Has 7th Weekend on Top With $31.3 Million Excerpt: abcnews.go.com

February 2, 2010 - James Cameron's science-fiction sensation "Avatar" remained on top of the domestic box office for the seventh-straight weekend, pulling in $31.3 million to raise its total to $595.8 million. Worldwide, "Avatar" has topped $2 billion, a record that surpasses the $1.84 billion of Cameron's "Titanic," which had been the No. 1 modern blockbuster. "Avatar" also is about to pass the domestic record of $600.8 million held by "Titanic." Click the source link for top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday.

Excerpt: worstpreviews.com

February 3, 2010 - Now that "Avatar" has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, ticket demand on Fandango has increased by 45% for the movie, which means that James Cameron's sci-fi epic will continue to dominate the box office charts for weeks to come. Unfortunately for "Avatar," its deal with theater owners to take up 3D screens runs out on March 5th to make way for Disney's "Alice in Wonderland." Since 70% of all ticket sales came from 3D showings, it is expected that the film's theatrical run will quickly come to an end soon after.

What's worse is that March 5th is just two days before the Academy Awards are presented and the winners are announced. That means that "Avatar" will not be able to get a bump that films usually get after the Oscars. 20th Century Fox is now looking for ways to keep their film on 3D screens.

Avatar Poised For Eighth Box Office Win Excerpt: reuters.com

February 5, 2010 - By next weekend, a combination of tougher competition and declining market hold should topple the all-time box office champion from the top of the theatrical heap. But for now, an eighth consecutive session atop the rankings is all but certain for the sci-fi epic."Avatar," whose market dominance compares with 15 chart-topping weekends for Cameron's "Titanic" in 1997-98, should fetch $25 million or more this weekend. That should be plenty to win theatrical bragging rights for the Super Bowl frame.

By T. F. Powell

February 8, 2010 - Lucky number 7, that appears to be the magic formula for Avatar having surrendered the 8th weekend top spot at the box office to the romantic film Dear John. But what a ride it has been, claiming a handful of box office records during its seven week span as the number one movie. Besides taking the top box office all time gross worldwide record, it also claimed the all time domestic record along with various sequential weekend records and the first movie in history to break the two billion dollar barrier.

Despite giving up the top spot this weekend, Avatar still raked in an estimated $23.6 million at the number two spot, according to Box Office Mojo. And it's still not finished breaking records. Avatar now adds the record of highest box office gross for an eighth weekend. All in all, Avatar's reach to the worldwide audience solidifies its place in cinema history as a landmark film, a feat quite possibly unlikely to be duplicated for years to come.

With recent announcements of upcoming blockbusters delaying release dates to convert their project to digital 3D, there is little doubt that Avatar has become a game changer in the industry. Box office records smashed, changing the face of cinema trends, numerous awards including the technical awards it received at the Oscars, Avatar is arguably one of the most influential, if not the most influential film of the new millennium.