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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
As ‘Force Awakens’ winds down, ‘Avatar’ remains supreme
JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Two
months after opening
to unprecedented fan-
fare, “Star Wars: The Force
Awakens” is finally winding
down in theaters, leaving
behind arsenals of plastic
lightsabers and a trail of
box-office records.
“The Force Awakens” is still
playing in more than 2,000
theaters in North America
and remains ranked in the
top-five at the box office
as it enters its ninth week of iegoers. Had “The Force
release. But the lion’s share
of its theatrical revenue has
been pocketed, and one
thing is abundantly clear:
it’s not going to touch “Av-
atar.” Regardless of further
receipts, “The Force Awak-
ens” (currently with $2.008
billion worldwide) will slot
in at No. 2 all-time on the
global box office list, if you haps as much as hundreds
don’t account for inflation
or rereleases. That’s slightly It’s just one more example
ahead of James Camer-
on’s “Titanic” ($1.84 billion
before a later 3-D release
pushed it to $2.18 billion)
but light years behind “Av-
atar” ($2.79 billion).
“The Force Awakens” was
by any measure a massive
hit: a full-blown if prepack-
aged cultural phenom-
enon that drove moviego-
ers en masse to theaters in
a way that some thought
was no longer possible
in an increasingly multi-
screen media world. It has
already made the Walt Dis-
ney Co. heaps of cash and
it has set the franchise up to the run and the response
reap oodles more in mer-
chandising, theme park at-
tractions and sequels.
But even the most colossal
hit of the decade — one
with all the firepower of ar-
guably the movies’ biggest
franchise — was no match
for Cameron’s 2009 3-D
sensation. Though some
forecast “The Force Awak-
ens” to rival “Avatar” and
possibly become the first $3
billion movie, that mark has
never seemed more out of
reach. “’Avatar’ is sitting on
top of that global moun-
tain, looking down and say-
ing, ‘Just try to catch me,’”
said Paul Dergarabedian,
senior media analyst for
comScore. “That’s a record
that’s going to stand for a
long time. And we know it
Friday 12 February 2016

This photo provided by Disney/Lucasfilm shows a scene from the new film, “Star Wars: The Force for the playability over the
Awakens.” The film is still playing in more than 2,000 theaters in North America and remains ranked last couple of months and
in the top-five at the box office as it enters its ninth week of release. really for what it means in
setting up the franchise
Associated Press for the future, everyone
couldn’t be any happier.”
now more than ever.” investment Disney made 14-acre “Star Wars” area in Propelled by “Star Wars,”
Though “The Force Awak- when it purchased Lucas- Disneyland. Disney reported a record
ens” set a record in North Film is already looking like Most importantly, director $2.88 billion in quarterly rev-
America ($906.7 million a bargain, and the mam- J.J. Abrams reinvigorated enue on Tuesday, a 32 per-
and counting), it was less moth success of “The Force the franchise with a crowd- cent jump from the same
of a phenomenon in some Awakens” in movie the- pleasing, critically praised period a year earlier. The
overseas territories. Most aters is only part of it. reboot that pulled in new ripple effect of “The Force
notably in China, where Analysts expect merchan- fans and put in motion a Awakens” has only just be-
“Star Wars” doesn’t have dizing revenues from “Star profit-creating system of gun.
the same history with mov- Wars” to bring in some $5 galactic proportions. Anthony DiClemente, an
billion for Disney in 2015 “It started with a fantastic analyst for Nomura, was
Awakens” performed at and 2016. “Star Wars” is also film that absolutely deliv- among those who once
the same rate internation- driving more visitors to Dis- ered,” said Hollis. “For what forecast a possible $3 bil-
ally as it did in the U.S., it ney’s theme parks. Ground it meant not just off of some lion in ticket sales. But he
would have toppled “Ava- will soon be broken on a big opening weekends but says the result for “The
tar.” Currency devaluation Force Awakens,” even if it
in some countries between fell short of the most bullish
2009 and 2106 also help predictions, exceeded Dis-
account for the distance ney’s internal expectations.
between “The Force Awak- “The thing about Disney is
ens” and “Avatar,” per- they have a content mone-
tization engine where they
of millions. can monetize one piece
of content more effec-
of how box office rankings tively than any other com-
don’t take into account pany,” says DiClemente,
countless variables (infla- citing the company’s tele-
tion, ticket prices, media vision networks and parks.
competition) that affect
every release. Adjust for in-
flation and the record do-
mestic haul of “The Force
Awakens,” is dwarfed by
1939’s “Gone With the
Wind,” which made ap-
proximately $1.7 billion in
North America in inflation-
adjusted dollars. Each era
has its own mega block-
busters.
“We’re taking a little more
time just to appreciate
without paying too much
attention to ranking and
ratings,” said Dave Hollis,
head of distribution for Dis-
ney. “There’s still business
to be had in this run and
possibly if we decide to do
a reissue of this film now or
ahead of Episode VIII, or
whatever it might be.”
Regardless, the $4 billion