Avatar Earns More Than $1 Billion Worldwide

Admittedly, I doubted Avatar in the months leading up to its release, largely due to the underwhelming theatrical trailers that did little to showcase the overall look and scope of the 3D sci-fi epic. But, like many of you out there, I wound up loving it and will probably see it again while it’s in theaters.

The Associated Press reports that James Cameron’s technological gamble has paid off in a big way: the film has earned more than $1 billion worldwide. Cameron is now the only director to have two films pass the $1 billion mark internationally. His last film, Titanic, earned $1.8 billion worldwide in 2007. It should be noted that ticket prices for 3D screenings, which account for about 75 percent of Avatar’s business, are a few dollars higher than 2D screenings.

Domestically, Avatar raked in $68.3 million to top this weekend’s box office, bringing its U.S. total to $352.1 million in just 17 days. Wow.

Click here to read my full Avatar review.

Latest Harry Potter Sequel Breaks Midnight Sales Record

Muggles rejoice! The sixth chapter in the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, earned a record-breaking $22.2 million in midnight ticket sales on July 15, the Los Angeles Times reports.

I came into the whole Harry Potter phenomenon relatively late. I didn’t really get interested the movies until Prisoner of Azkaban hit theaters in 2004, and it wasn’t until the final book was released in the summer of 2007 that I actually read the series.

That said, I think Harry Potter—in book and movie form—is a great example of approachable fantasy storytelling. While the mythos hardly rivals that of J.R.R. Tolkien’s more complex Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.K. Rowling has crafted an appealing fantasy world that both children and adults can appreciate. Plus, it’s really hard not to respect something that’s getting millions of young people around the world hooked on reading. That makes it the best kind of gateway drug.