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feck me thats some feat!

Well IMAX ticket prices help a lot. Also, its story is easily transferred to foreign audiences compared to Dark Knight. But yes, I'd say you're dead on. One billion US dollars in three weeks. Granted, four million to make and probably another 200 million to market. Numbers hurt my face.
 
A film typically has to make twice its production costs to break even, since brick and mortar theater owners take keep half of the ticket prices. So since it cost $230m it will need $460 to break even (marketing budget is not included in the break even factor). It will probably reach a total of $2-2.5 billion worldwide. Once it reaches that point it will make another 20-30% on top of that through ancillary sales (DVD rentals/purchases/I-Tunes downloads etc). The key will be whether it can maintain the level of Titanic, which stayed at theaters for nearly 5 months and kept steadily keeping big numbers.
 
A film typically has to make twice its production costs to break even, since brick and mortar theater owners take keep half of the ticket prices. So since it cost $230m it will need $460 to break even (marketing budget is not included in the break even factor). It will probably reach a total of $2-2.5 billion worldwide. Once it reaches that point it will make another 20-30% on top of that through ancillary sales (DVD rentals/purchases/I-Tunes downloads etc). The key will be whether it can maintain the level of Titanic, which stayed at theaters for nearly 5 months and kept steadily keeping big numbers.

Two things:

From what I hear, the theater take varies from country-to-country, film-to-film.

For example, low theater share is the reason for astronomical prices on theater concessions in the USA: some films net the studio up to 95% (not a typo - rumor has it Star Wars Ep.1 took 99% off an unnnamed US chain for the first two week of release) of the ticket value. The proportion is then decreased over time as an incentive for the theater chain to keep the movie playing on as many screens as possible for as long as it is pulling in a profit per screen that is adjudged to be greater than any new product. I don't even want to think about the algorithms they might use to calculate that shit.

I know in some Asian markets the 50-50 rule applies to independently distributed films with less negotiating power, but I'm not sure this would apply for films with major studio backing.

Second:

I've heard that most studio blockbusters these days make up a very very healthy chunk of the production budget through foreign sales and the DVD rights you mentioned (not so much toys and merchandising, since those are tied to existing production facilities and are essentially niche markets). However, unlike the above blurb on theater share, this is completely hearsay (the theater share bit is based on conversations with some people in the business and one article I read by an theater manager who did the piece under condition of anonymity of himself and his former employer)
 
Two things:

From what I hear, the theater take varies from country-to-country, film-to-film.

For example, low theater share is the reason for astronomical prices on theater concessions in the USA: some films net the studio up to 95% (not a typo - rumor has it Star Wars Ep.1 took 99% off an unnnamed US chain for the first two week of release) of the ticket value. The proportion is then decreased over time as an incentive for the theater chain to keep the movie playing on as many screens as possible for as long as it is pulling in a profit per screen that is adjudged to be greater than any new product. I don't even want to think about the algorithms they might use to calculate that shit.


That's true. I'm speaking mainly about the U.S. market as thats where the film will pick up a bulk of its money (more so than any other country). The normal breakdown of brick and mortar theaters is a 50-50% split between theater owners and production companies. There may be one off instances where theaters are owned by movie studios that could skew the numbers, but thats the norm.


I've heard that most studio blockbusters these days make up a very very healthy chunk of the production budget through foreign sales and the DVD rights you mentioned (not so much toys and merchandising, since those are tied to existing production facilities and are essentially niche markets). However, unlike the above blurb on theater share, this is completely hearsay (the theater share bit is based on conversations with some people in the business and one article I read by an theater manager who did the piece under condition of anonymity of himself and his former employer)

Ancillary sales (DVD sales/rentals/ - TV rights / PPV / Legal Downloads etc) usually net a film 30-50% of its production costs. That's why if a film that costs 100m to make and only nets 150m in the global box office, the remaining 50m to cover the production costs will almost certainly be covered by the ancillaries.
 
That's true. I'm speaking mainly about the U.S. market as thats where the film will pick up a bulk of its money (more so than any other country). The normal breakdown of brick and mortar theaters is a 50-50% split between theater owners and production companies. There may be one off instances where theaters are owned by movie studios that could skew the numbers, but thats the norm.

Ancillary sales (DVD sales/rentals/ - TV rights / PPV / Legal Downloads etc) usually net a film 30-50% of its production costs. That's why if a film that costs 100m to make and only nets 150m in the global box office, the remaining 50m to cover the production costs will almost certainly be covered by the ancillaries.

Is that you waving from beside the third 'O' in "Hollywood"?
 
JmRmb.jpg
 
Yep, it's a mix of Pocahontas and Call Me Joe.

Synopsis of Call Me Joe: Call Me Joe centers on a paraplegic – Ed Anglesey – who telepathically connects with an artificially created life form in order to explore a harsh planet (in this case, Jupiter). Anglesey revels in the freedom and strength of his artificial created body, battles predators on the surface of Jupiter, and gradually goes native as he spends more time connected to his artificial body.
 
Just saw it today. I went in expecting a total shite story and a headache from the 3D glasses. I walked out pleasantly surprised. It was entertaining at a very visceral level. Cameron is the master of manipulating obvious emotions. When he wants you to feel sad, you feel sad. When he wants you to feel righteous liberal anger, you feel righteous liberal anger. And it goes without saying the effects were amazing.
 
You could do nearly exactly the same thing for Dances With Wolves, though, or any number of "going native" stories. I don't think anyone is pretending that the plot is particularly original, just like none of its predecessors in that theme have been original, either.
 
One thing that I thought particularly poor was that everyone is bipolar on that planet. Every single character acts like a douche at some point, then for no reason, becomes super-nice, or vice versa. (Except for the evil general dude.) One of the glaring examples was the
Giovanni Ribisi character, the businessman, sneering about the trees and natural resources and laughing in Sigourney Weaver's face, then in the VERY NEXT SCENE, he's virtually crying about ordering an army strike at those same trees.

Also, at one point, the tall nerdy avatar scientist becomes very antagonistic toward Jake, when previously he had been the most friendly to him. But then he likes him again.

And since when do scientists chain-smoke?
 
I know a lot of physicians who smoke and drink like it is going out of style that said there is nothing wrong with a person doing what they want to.
 
Finally saw it - tried to watch a few days ago but all IMAX showings were sold out for the whole weekend - really does need to be seen in IMAX 3D

It was just like everyone said: crap story & crap acting but amazing visuals and the best use of 3D so far.

Would give it an 8/10
 
Going to see this tonight at the IMAX. I haven't read any reviews or got on the hype bandwagon so I'm going with a totally open mind. All I've heard is that it took a long time to make
 
Crap story? Crap acting? The story was predictable sure but crap it was not. And the acting was not bad.

At all.

Whatever you reckon - predictable = crap in my book - I have seen that same story a hundred times before in various guises.
Also the acting really was pretty average - I've never seen people like Sigorny Weaver or Geovanni Ribisi (both of whom I usually like) put in such poor performances and that main character did a laughable impression of an American accent - there was very little character development and in a 3 hour film I expect better.

After having a day to think about it, my view of the film has actually gone down a bit - last night I was still buzzing off the bright lights and special effects (which are amazing to be fair) - really the whole thing is just a case of 'style over substance'.
 
Apparently Cameron has always planned it as a trilogy.

James Cameron tells Entertainment Weekly that he was alway confident he would get to make a trilogy of Avatar movies, even when certain industry pundits (and internet scuttlebutters… although the distinction between the two seems to be rapidly blurring) were predicting mighty flopdom.

“I’ve had a storyline in mind from the start — there are even scenes in Avatar that I kept in because they lead to the sequel,” says Cameron. “It just makes sense to think of it as a two or three film arc, in terms of the business plan. The CG plants and trees and creatures and the musculo-skeletal rigging of the main characters — that all takes an enormous amount of time to create. It’d be a waste not to use it again.”

Meanwhile, Sam Worthington has his own ideas for the sequel: "Jake should have abused his avatar and be fat and unfit and demand Neyteri to get him a beer.”
 
love that Pochantas script edit.

saw the movie in 3D last night. stunning visuals tbh. yeah some of the acting was mediocre but apart from the Ausamerican accent I thought the leading guy was pretty good.
 
I thought it was a pretty good film, a solid 7 out of 10 from me.

Was blown away by the visuals when I first saw them, particularly the beginning on the ship with cryogenic pods
 
Avatar will surpass Titanic's boxoffice gross within the next couple of weeks, amazing.
 
I loved it.


Not going to bother thinking about whether or not it was original or if the story has been seen before or not.

I went to the movies to be entertained and I fecking loved it. It was a visual masterpiece that had me pinned back with fascination for about three hours.
 
I loved it.


Not going to bother thinking about whether or not it was original or if the story has been seen before or not.

I went to the movies to be entertained and I fecking loved it. It was a visual masterpiece that had me pinned back with fascination for about three hours.

totally agree. I just got back from it and it was well worth the money. Glad ive ignored some of the critics. My jaw was on the floor the whole time :)
 
I loved it.


Not going to bother thinking about whether or not it was original or if the story has been seen before or not.

I went to the movies to be entertained and I fecking loved it. It was a visual masterpiece that had me pinned back with fascination for about three hours.

This is going to sound like a ridiculous (and probably insultingly ignorant) question, but how do movies like Avatar get shown for you? Dubbed or subtitled? Or are Scandinavians so feckin' good at English they don't bother with either and just show it as it would be shown in America? I know that's what a lot of Dutch cinemas do, but that's 'cos Nederlanders are mental. Then again, you Scandis are loveably mental, too!
 
This is going to sound like a ridiculous (and probably insultingly ignorant) question, but how do movies like Avatar get shown for you? Dubbed or subtitled? Or are Scandinavians so feckin' good at English they don't bother with either and just show it as it would be shown in America? I know that's what a lot of Dutch cinemas do, but that's 'cos Nederlanders are mental. Then again, you Scandis are loveably mental, too!

Hehe, yeah it sounds like a dumb question!

Nothing in Norway gets dubbed. We speak English as a second language and almost any Norwegian less than 50 years of age will speak English quite well.

They are subtitled though, but personally I don't use the subtitle as it fecks everything up. If given the choice I'll always opt out of subtitling, as will most of my mates. Some of my friends like subtitles for shows like The Wire etc which has a lot of slang, but otherwise it's not really needed.
 
Hehe, yeah it sounds like a dumb question!

Nothing in Norway gets dubbed. We speak English as a second language and almost any Norwegian less than 50 years of age will speak English quite well.

They are subtitled though, but personally I don't use the subtitle as it fecks everything up. If given the choice I'll always opt out of subtitling, as will most of my mates. Some of my friends like subtitles for shows like The Wire etc which has a lot of slang, but otherwise it's not really needed.

To be fair I sometimes need the hard-of-hearing subtitles for The Wire.

But thanks for answering my question :D I thought that might be the case.
 
Stunning film. Nothing else I can say. Amazing landscape and imaginative in all the right places. Plus good old Bluey would be worth a punt.