"Avatar's" standing as the king of the cinematic world is about as solid as royalty gets — in other words, not very solid at all, at least where the world of 3-D theaters is concerned.
According to The New York Times, Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" is set to replace "Avatar" on most IMAX and 3-D screens as of March 5. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, as "Avatar" will have been in theaters for 11 weeks at that point. But there's nothing normal about "Avatar," a film that is still very much on the warpath after winning first place at the box office for seven straight weekends.
Understandably, both Fox and the theater owners that have come to rely on "Avatar"'s success aren't thrilled about surrendering the science fiction epic's 3-D footing in favor of the untested "Alice." As a result, it seems that Fox is fighting to keep "Avatar" in as many IMAX and 3-D locations as possible, leading to a not-so-behind-the-scenes showdown between James Cameron's and Burton's latest efforts.
Fox has every reason to keep fighting for a place in 3-D and IMAX, seeing as "Avatar" has showed no signs of slowing. That said, who knows how lucrative the film will be a month from now — is it really still going to pull in $30 million weekends in March? My gut says no, but the film's success story has already taken so many surprising turns that it's hard to say for sure.
Even if theater owners lose a surefire bet in "Avatar," it's not like they're trading in a cashmere scarf for a wet blanket. As a classic tale with Burton's undeniable signature flair, the director's take on the "Alice" mythology is likely to be a success for both Disney and theater operators everywhere. No, it probably won't post the same numbers that "Avatar" has, but that's not a realistic expectation in the first place.
Once "Avatar" passes "Titanic"'s domestic total, there are few if any meaningful records left to shatter. The film has already surpassed $2 billion in worldwide box office sales. Maybe it's time for Fox to let go and give Disney a fair competitive shot — then again, this is business, where "fair" is a more ridiculous concept than "cranking."
On a personal note, I'd love for "Avatar" to be out of the big theaters by March. Maybe then I could finally write about something else in the box office reports!
Tell us what you think of the potential feud over IMAX and 3-D screens between "Avatar" and "Alice" in the comments section and on Twitter!
Tags alice in wonderland, avatar
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Should 'Avatar' Surrender 3-D And IMAX Locations to Tim Burton's 'Alice In Wonderland'?
Posted 2/1/10 2:00 pm EST by Josh Wigler in Commentary, News
According to The New York Times, Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" is set to replace "Avatar" on most IMAX and 3-D screens as of March 5. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, as "Avatar" will have been in theaters for 11 weeks at that point. But there's nothing normal about "Avatar," a film that is still very much on the warpath after winning first place at the box office for seven straight weekends.
Understandably, both Fox and the theater owners that have come to rely on "Avatar"'s success aren't thrilled about surrendering the science fiction epic's 3-D footing in favor of the untested "Alice." As a result, it seems that Fox is fighting to keep "Avatar" in as many IMAX and 3-D locations as possible, leading to a not-so-behind-the-scenes showdown between James Cameron's and Burton's latest efforts.
Fox has every reason to keep fighting for a place in 3-D and IMAX, seeing as "Avatar" has showed no signs of slowing. That said, who knows how lucrative the film will be a month from now — is it really still going to pull in $30 million weekends in March? My gut says no, but the film's success story has already taken so many surprising turns that it's hard to say for sure.
Even if theater owners lose a surefire bet in "Avatar," it's not like they're trading in a cashmere scarf for a wet blanket. As a classic tale with Burton's undeniable signature flair, the director's take on the "Alice" mythology is likely to be a success for both Disney and theater operators everywhere. No, it probably won't post the same numbers that "Avatar" has, but that's not a realistic expectation in the first place.
Once "Avatar" passes "Titanic"'s domestic total, there are few if any meaningful records left to shatter. The film has already surpassed $2 billion in worldwide box office sales. Maybe it's time for Fox to let go and give Disney a fair competitive shot — then again, this is business, where "fair" is a more ridiculous concept than "cranking."
On a personal note, I'd love for "Avatar" to be out of the big theaters by March. Maybe then I could finally write about something else in the box office reports!
Tell us what you think of the potential feud over IMAX and 3-D screens between "Avatar" and "Alice" in the comments section and on Twitter!
Tags alice in wonderland, avatar
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