Avatar Sinks Titanic Record

James Cameron really is King of the World; the 55-year old director is now the proud papa of the top two highest-grossing movies ever. Twentieth Century Fox announced today that Avatar has crossed Titanic’s worldwide box office gross of $1.843 billion on Monday and now holds the global box office record of $1.859 billion. Most of the credit for the film’s success has to be given to its phenomenal performance in 3-D, which accounts for 80% of the film’s domestic box-office gross. Avatar still needs another $45 million to cross Titanic’s domestic gross of $600 million, a feat that will be achieved in the next two weeks. It’s rather amazing that Titanic held its record for so long considering ticket prices have obviously risen since the film debuted in 1997 and grosses are not adjusted for inflation. Don’t expect Avatar to drop off anytime soon. With the film falling only 20% every weekend, its likely to remain in theaters for many weeks to come.

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James Cameron Talks 'Avatar' Sequel, Deleted Sex Scenes Before taking home six Critics' Choice Movie Awards

On Friday night (January 15), James Cameron slipped into a tuxedo and descended on the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, stepping into an unfamiliar world like "Avatar" hero Jake Sully arriving on Pandora. Much like the Sam Worthington character in one of the biggest blockbusters ever made, Cameron's mission would be a success — one that would grab him six awards. In other ways, however, it was more like a victory lap.

"Thanks to that MTV online event, you launched the picture!" he grinned when he saw the MTV News team on the red carpet, remembering our exclusive "Avatar" event in early December. "And look what happened!"

Some people would say that a billion-plus dollars at the box office would automatically green-light a sequel. "Yes, now we just have to come up with an idea," Cameron joked. "I have a 6,000-page outline. Now, if I could just reduce that to a shoot-able script."

Before he makes the sequel, however, Cameron said he might step away from Pandora for a while. "There's some possibility of doing another film in between," explained the filmmaker, who has been absent from the awards-season scene since he similarly blew through it in 1997 with "Titanic." "But we'll certainly get busy talking about what the strategy is [for an 'Avatar' sequel], whether it makes sense to do it and laying any technical groundwork that needs to be done. These are big projects."

As for recent speculation over the leaked "Avatar" script that supposedly revealed extended intimacy between the film's lead characters, Cameron said he was getting a kick out of the chatter. "We took a good 10 seconds out of that scene. So people shouldn't [get too worked up over it]," he grinned. "I think it's one of those cases where the fantasy vastly exceeds the reality."

Still, fans can look for that scene — and others — in an upcoming DVD that Cameron is compiling, but one that he stopped short of labeling with a phrase we hear all too often. "The 'director's cut' is what we release," Cameron said. "What we do is we do a special edition, where you could select a longer version of the film that has some scenes reinstated. But it's really more of a fan version than a director's version.

"[The fan version] will be 10 or 12 minutes longer," he revealed. "Something like that."

Finally, Cameron had some advice for those who suffer from the newly coined affliction "Avatar blues," supposedly resulting from exposure to a land far more beautiful than their own. "Take a walk in the woods," he said to sufferers. "Reacquaint with the nature we have right here."

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Why did china killed Avatar?

Google isn't the only American commodity being driven out of China. Avatar, James Cameron's highly successful and critically acclaimed sci-fi epic, will be pulled from all 2-D screens in China by this weekend, according to Chinese media outlets.

Although 3-D and IMAX versions of the film will continue, the majority of Chinese movie theaters are not equipped with 3-D technology. As a result, the movie will be pulled from 1,628 movie screens across the country (compared to only 800 3-D and IMAX cinemas). Avatar will be replaced with Confucius, a domestically produced biopic about the renowned Chinese philosopher. Why?

Avatar generated record-breaking profits in China, earning $76 million in Chinese ticket sales so far. The film's financial success, however, may have led to its demise. Several reports from both the mainland and U.S. indicate that the government wants to promote and protect the domestic film industry. Currently, only 20 films can be imported per year, in order to reduce foreign competition. These films can only run for 10 days and are often curtailed during a major holiday, giving domestic films a significant market advantage.

Avatar's resonance with Chinese audiences also may have prompted government intervention. In the film, humans attempt to conquer the alien-inhabited world of Pandora, which contains a mineral that the Earth desperately needs. Many Chinese citizens see a close parallel to their own lives, as urban developments and projects such as the Three Gorges Dam force them off their land. Perhaps the government is worried that the ensuing violence on-screen may incite violence off-screen as well.

At first glance, the decision to pull Avatar is not exceptional. The film has indeed lapsed its 10-day run and a holiday -- the Lunar New Year -- is approaching. In addition, foreign films often contain themes that the government is not fond of. What is exceptional is the timing. A week after Google threatened to leave China, the Chinese government shows no signs of changing its restrictive censorship policies. I don't think it is mere coincidence that Confucius -- a state-sanctioned, state-produced movie about one of China's most beloved and patriotic figures -- will replace the controversial Avatar. By canning the most successful movie of all time in China, the government shows little concern for free markets or its consumers. Ignoring Chinese consumer demand for Avatar and bait-and-switching it with state propaganda may incite the very criticism that the government seeks to avoid.

China is to pull the plug on screenings of Avatar at most cinemas and replace the Golden Globe-winning film with a patriotic biopic on the life of Confucius, according to reports.

Hong Kong's Apple Daily said the state-run China Film Group has ordered cinemas across China to stop showing the 2D version of the film and to show only the 3D edition, amid concerns from China's censors that it could cause unrest. Because there are so few 3D cinemas on the mainland, the order effectively prevents general distribution of the James Cameron blockbuster.

Parallels have reportedly been drawn between the plight of the Na'vi, who face the threat of eviction from their woodland home, and those in China vulnerable to displacement by predatory property developers.

Bloggers are speculating about the toll Avatar could inflict on home-grown films. The Confucius picture is directed by Hu Mei and stars Chow Yun-fat as the sage.

"The Central Publicity Department is said to have issued an order to the media prohibiting it from hyping up Avatar," the newspaper said.

The film opened on 4 January to queues across the country, with Imax cinemas said to be booked for weeks ahead. It was due to run until 28 February, including over Chinese new year. Instead, the reports said, the 2D version will close on 23 January.

According to one reputable blog, the Wuxi Big World Cineplex posted the following notice to its website: "China Film Group Company and the distribution network have given notice that Avatar (all versions) will close immediately on 23 January all across the country! We ask your understanding! Viewers who have purchased tickets for the 23rd and the 24th may obtain a refund from the box office before the 22nd! To satisfy the viewing needs of the audience, the cinema will add midnight showings from the 21st and 22nd. Grab them quickly!"

The posting was later taken down, with the China News Agency, which spoke to the cinema, saying it had been an error. The 2D Avatar was to close on the 23rd but 3D showing would continue.

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James cameron speech on winning golden globe for AVATAR movie !!!

The science-fiction blockbuster Avatar has won best drama at the Golden Globes and picked up the directing honour for James Cameron, raising the Titanic film-maker's prospects for another Academy Awards triumph.

It was a repeat of Cameron's Globes night 12 years ago, when Titanic won best drama and the directing prize on its way to dominating the Oscars.

This time, though, instead of being "king of the world", as Cameron declared at the Oscars, he has become king of an alien landscape, elevating space fantasy to enormous critical acclaim.

"Avatar asks us to see that everything is connected, all human beings to each other, and us to the Earth. And if you have to go four-and-a-half light years to another, made-up planet to appreciate this miracle of the world that we have right here, well, you know what, that's the wonder of cinema right there; that's the magic," Cameron said.

Winning the dramatic-acting honours were Sandra Bullock for the football tale The Blind Side and Jeff Bridges for the country music story Crazy Heart. The crowd gave a standing ovation to Bridges, a beloved veteran generally overlooked for key Hollywood honours.

"You're really screwing up my under­appreciated status here," Bridges said.

The son of late actor Lloyd Bridges, the actor thanked his father for encouraging him to go into showbusiness. "So glad I listened to you, dad," he said.

Bullock cited Michael Oher, the Baltimore Ravens rookie lineman whose life is the subject of The Blind Side. She plays a wealthy woman whose family took in the teenage Oher after discovering he was homeless.

"If I may steal from Michael Oher, I may not be the most talented, but I've been given opportunity," Bullock said.

The acting prizes for musical and comedy went to Meryl Streep for the Julia Child story Julie & Julia and Robert Downey Jr. for the crime romp Sherlock Holmes. The best-supporting performances were won by Mo'Nique as an abusive welfare mother in Precious and Christoph Waltz as a gleefully bloodthirsty Nazi in Inglourious Basterds.

Downey thanked his frequent collaborator Joel Silver, the "guy that's only restarted my career 12 times since I began 25 years ago".

The Vegas bachelor bash The Hangover won best musical/comedy, bringing uncharacteristic attention for broad comedy, a genre often overlooked at Hollywood honours.

"I just want to thank my mom, who supported my decision to become a director when she realised I wasn't as smart as my two sisters," said Hangover director Todd Phillips.

The Globes marked a dramatic turning point for Mo'Nique, who was mainly known for lowbrow comedy but startled audiences with her ferocious performance in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire.

Mo'Nique lavished praise for ­Precious director Lee Daniels and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, a best dramatic actress nominee at the Globes with her first film role, playing Mo'Nique's abused, illiterate daughter.

"Lee Daniels, the world gets a chance to see how brilliant you are. You are a brilliant, fearless, amazing director who would not waver, and thank you for trusting me," Mo'Nique said. "To Gabby, sister, I am in awe of you. Thank you for letting me play with you."

Though one of Hollywood's biggest parties, the Globes bore sombre reminders of tragedy in the real world, many stars wearing ribbons in support of Haiti earthquake victims.

The blockbuster Up won best animated film. Pixar Animation, the Disney outfit that made Up has scooped all four prizes for animated movies since the Globes introduced the category in 2006. The film features the voice of Ed Asner in a tale of a lonely, bitter widower who renews his zest for adventure by flying his house off under helium balloons to south America, where he encounters his childhood hero and a hilarious gang of talking canines.

"When it came to finding the heart of the film, we didn't have to look very hard," said director Pete Docter, whose film also won for musical score. "Our inspiration was all around us. Our grandparents, our parents, our wives, our kids. Our talking dogs."

Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner won best screenplay honour for Up , which Reitman also directed. The foreign-language honour went to The White Ribbon, a stark drama of guilt and suspicion set in a German town on the eve of World War I.

Mad Men won for best TV drama, while Michael Hall won for best actor in a TV drama for Dexter in which he plays a serial killer with a code of ethics, killing only other murderers. Publicists revealed this week that Hall is being treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma and that the cancer is in remission.

"It's really a hell of a thing to go to work in a place where everybody gives a damn. That's really the case with Dexter," Hall said. "It's a dream job. I'm so grateful."

Other TV winners included Julianna Margulies as best actress in a drama for The Good Wife and Toni Collette as best comedy actress for The United States of Tara.

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Avatar wins big at 67th Golden Globe Awards

“Give it up for yourselves,” said James Cameron last night, accepting the Golden Globe for Best Picture for his giant blue 3D masterpiece, Avatar. He had already taken the Best Director nod — besting ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, who he generously acknowledged in his speech, and causing a minor Twitter firestorm by actually speaking in his movie’s invented language of Na’vi. At first I thought that speaking Na’vi (“I see you, Golden Globe”) was the new “I’m the king of the world,” but it turns out that that was “Give it up for yourselves,” as he urged the Golden Globe audience to pat themselves on the back for delivering great entertainment to their far-flung friends around the Globe. It was a sentiment that everyone in that room had spent the night embracing — it was an awards show, after all — but it fell oddly flat, eliciting only tepid applause for the final speech of the night (and if you want to hear non-tepid applause, then you should have been paying attention to the response for Glee).

What explains the awkwardly expressionless faces of Glenn Close and Leo DiCaprio in the audience, the almost collective groan when Cameron said that he was going to take his time, the lukewarm…everything? Since Avatar was and still is a giant hit, not to mention a technical masterpiece and a box-office rising tide that arguably lifts all boats (movies are back! Big budgets are worth it! Damn Avatar’s sold out I guess we should go see the Squeakquel!), there can really be only one reason for the audience’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction: the hair.

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Avatar’s Racist Undertone Still A Hot Topic

Avatar just came off its fourth week on top of the box office, and a sore subject continues to overshadow its success. Ever since its release back in December the only thing that people can talk about are the racist undertones the story puts on display. A story that most of us see as a blatant rip-off of several war films from the past.

According to an article from The Herald, the problem most people have with the film is the concept of a white male entering into a world of ethnic people, with the sole intent of using them for his own personal gain. Anyone with eyes can see that this premise wreaks of too many movies to count, Dances With Wolves being the most evident, but Avatar’s draw isn’t its story. The film’s marketing campaign emphasizes the visuals, and how director James Cameron’s vision is history in the making.

Speaking of Cameron, all of the casting done in the film had his seal of approval, so he’s come under attack for using actors of color to portray the Na’vi people, while white Australian Sam Worthington stars as the cultural infiltrator. Annalee Newitz, editor-in-chief of the sci-fi Web site io9.com said,

“Main white characters realize that they are complicit in a system which is destroying aliens, AKA people of color … (then) go beyond assimilation and become leaders of the people they once oppressed,” she wrote. When will whites stop making these movies and start thinking about race in a new way?” wrote Newitz, who is white.

Cameron has said on more than one occasion that Avatar is meant to encourage people to respect each others cultures and differences, and while that may be the case, he still fell into a familiar trap. Regardless if it was intentional or not there are some obvious racial undertones in the film, and you can’t ignore them no matter how pretty you paint the picture. The reason people are getting so upset is because they know this story all too well, and are sick of seeing it onscreen.

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Avatar Makes Fans Physically Sick

Avatar has only been in theaters for four weeks but it’s had the most unusual effect on people. Just yesterday we told you about the raising rate of fans suffering from post-Avatar depression, and now there’s word that the film actually makes viewers sick. Not sick in the mental sense, but sick in the ‘I need to go barf in the bathroom now sense.’

According to an article in the Dominion Post, there have been several reports of fans being struck by physical illness after viewing James Cameron’s latest. Avatar has earned praise for its groundbreaking special effects and stunning visuals, but that stuff is slowly making people sick. Reports are saying that a significant number of movie goers are experiencing dizziness, headaches and nausea during 3D screenings. One couple from Auckland, Tania and Raymond Lorenzen, recently discussed their viewing experience of the film and it wasn’t pretty.

“I just got extremely hot then I managed to calm myself down. It was just a total motion sickness and my husband got the same.”

Many of the complaints from other viewers fell in line with their experience. Motion sickness seems to be the main culprit in this case. So far, no one has come out vomiting, and tickets are still selling out left and right. In case you’re one of the few people who haven’t seen the film, make sure you can handle the bumpy visual ride. We don’t want anymore cases of Avatar sickness popping up do we?

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