It’s safe to say James Cameron is having a good year. Two of his films -TitanicandAvatar: The Way of Water- are battling for the number three spot on the list of all-time highest-grossing films.
Titanicis Cameron’s 1997 masterpiece about the 1912 sinking of the titular ocean liner. For its 25th anniversary,Titanicmade its way back to theaters. Meanwhile,Avatar: The Way of Wateris the second film in Cameron’sAvatarfranchise, and it has made more than $2.2 billion in its original run. Ironically, both the return ofTitanicto theaters and the first theatrical run ofAvatar: The Way of Watermanaged to overlap.
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As reported byThe Hollywood Reporter,Avatar: The Way of Waterdrew in $25.3 million during the weekend haul, bringing its total box office to $2.214 billion. That would have been enough to overtakeTitanic,which stood at $2.194 billion. However, in a close race,Titanic’s 3D re-release brought in $22.3 million, bringing its total box office up to $2.217 billion, meaning that $3 million now stands in the way ofAvatar: The Way of Waterovertaking its haul. Of this feat, Comscore box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian is quoted as saying, “In a breathtaking demonstration of the heft and breadth of James Cameron’s filmmaking career, this match-up, no matter the outcome, is a testament to the famed director’s impact on the zeitgeist in a multigenerational display of cinematic relevance and box office dominance."
Despite its monumental successes,Titanichad its struggles during production. As part of an oral retrospective for the 25th anniversary, severalTitaniccrew members recalled a drug-induced fiasco on set. On the last day of filming the modern-day (at the time) scenes, an unknown party or parties had spiked the crew’s clam chowder with PCP. Fortunately, no one was injured, and several cast members remember that day as humorous.
Cameron’s staying power and ability to make a profit are uncanny qualities. Despite the naysayers who saidThe Way of Waterwould flop, the film surpassed several big franchise films,includingStar Wars: The Force Awakens.While the film has not outgrossed the firstAvatarand is a long way from doing so, that was always a tall order for the movie. Sequels always tend to make less money than their predecessors, andAvatarstill reigns at the top of the box office. The only film of the top four highest-grossing movies not to be directed by Cameron isAvengers: Endgame.
Cameron had previously stated thatAvatar: The Way of Waterneeded to make plenty of moneyfor theAvatarsequels to move forward, and last month, he confirmed the film had done so. There’s no doubt that fans and box office analysts alike will look forward to the next threeAvatarfilms.
