$1,858,866,889
Bravo, James Cameron. You’ve beaten … yourself.
I wonder how good it must feel to be operating the giant, blue alien arm responsible for raking in nearly $2 billion. Like you’re the, oh I don’t know, king of the world? (Couldn’t resist, sorry.)
The official numbers were released today, after last night’s recognition that 3D smash hit Avatar had surpassed film-phenom Titanic in a raw dollar amount, $1.86 billion vs. $1.84 billion. Yikes. Are we surprised? No, not really. Check out our “Freeze Frame” breakdown of Avatar’s best scene.
Given that the amount has not been adjusted for inflation, or the pure fact that folks are shelling out – what? – $17.50 per 3D-IMAX screening, this is in no way a clean victory, but I’d have to bet that 20th Century will gladly take this win, dirty or not.
Still, we can’t ignore that Avatar has only been on screens for six weeks. Let me repeat: Nearly $2 billion in only six weeks. Titanic was in theaters for 41 weeks.
So in true milestone form, please join us as we take a look back at Avatar mania a la Techland:
Aug. 3, 2009
Lev views about 25 minutes of Avatar footage at a special press event. (He’s still not the same.)
Nov. 24, 2009
Trailer is just too simplistic a phrase. Interactive peep show might be closer.
Read it: Avatar Exclusive: First Look At Interactive Trailer
But how did they do it?
Read it: State of the Art (Marketing)
Dec. 4, 2009
Avatar the book hits the Web. Let the addictive drip into our veins begin.
Read it: Avatar the Book: Skim It Online
Dec. 9, 2009
PANDORA SAFARI. No really, it’s a Sigourney Weaver-guided tour.
Read it: Planet Earth, Avatar Edition
Dec. 10, 2009
Steve has an awesome chat with Avatar star Joel Moore, a.k.a. nerdy Norm.
Read it: Joel Moore Talks Avatar, Near Drunken Brawls With James Cameron
Dec. 11, 2009
We saw a screening. Our worlds were rocked. Steve muses about the future of movies.
Read it: Why This Geek Hopes Pandora Is The Future Of Movies
Dec. 11, 2009
The Techland staff chats about what we thought of the film through and e-mail chain we affectionately dubbed, “Blue Boobs.”
Read it: Blue Boobs, The Avatar E-mail Chain
Dec. 14, 2009
We learned some seriously bad ass stuff about James Cameron.
Read it: James Cameron Almost Died Making The Abyss
Dec. 17, 2009
We talked to him. James freakin Cameron.
Read it: The James Cameron Interview. Sequels? ‘Hell Yeah.’
Dec. 18, 2009
Opening day. We prepped you for it. Didn’t read our back-ground info? For shame…
Read it: Your Avatar Primer: 10 Things You Need To Know
Dec. 21, 2009
Was it good for you? We looked back on opening weekend.
Read it: Avatar, The Monday After: Brilliant or Bust?
Dec. 23, 2009
Could Zoe Saldana be the first all CGI character nominated for an Oscar? We’ll need to wait to see.
Read it: In Neytiri, Avatar Producer Sees Oscar Gold
Jan. 8, 2010
Then came the speculation. Was Avatar just Dances With Wolves disguised in a sparkly blue 3D alien suit?
Read it: Take Away The 3D And What Is Avatar Really Worth?
Jan. 13, 2010
The subtext? Americans are assholes.
Read it: The Politics of Avatar: America Bad.
Jan. 15, 2010
Easter comes early. We search for Cameron’s eggs, marked Avatar 2.
Read it: Cameron’s Clues: Which Avatar Scenes Point To Sequel?
Jan. 18, 2010
It’s official. We’ve got a record-breaker on our hands, here. Where she stops, nobody knows.
Read it: Avatar, Cameron: All-Time Kings of IMAX
Jan. 21, 2010
Send in the clowns: Avatar parodies sprout up everywhere. Our favorite is spoofy cartoon-porn. (Of course.)
Read it: Na’vi Sex, A Sticky Situation