Avatar: The Way of Water | 16 DEC 2022 | Don't worry guys, critics like it

[Jessie]

500m is the floor and 700m is the ceiling IMO. Unless the trailer isTerrible along with the film, then it could end with 490m

[The Futurist]

Avatar's trailer was awful.That really hurt its BO performance.Fox didn't even believe in the movie.

[Elessar]

I guess, you mean the teaser, because the final trailer was good. The teaser wasn't bad either, just the effects were still a little rough at that point.

[The Futurist]

All I know is that in late November/early December 2009, the geekdom was predicting nothing but doom for the Smurfs in space.ANd the final trailer was atrocious, it basically told the entire story in 2 and a half minutes.The marketing for the movie was so bad ...

[Moviedweeb]

All I know is that in late November/early December 2009, the geekdom was predicting nothing but doom for the Smurfs in space.ANd the final trailer was atrocious, it basically told the entire story in 2 and a half minutes.The marketing for the movie was so bad ...

I thought you were kidding in last post but I am not so sure now. Is that really your opinion?

[kayumanggi]

Yeah everything was so bad the movie ended up with 760 M. lol

[The Futurist]

The movie itself was the only marketing tool Avatar ever got.Just pure word of mouth.

[Jessie]

Avatar's trailer was awful.That really hurt its BO performance.Fox didn't even believe in the movie.

Avatars first trailer wasn't bad at all, it's just movie geeks were expecting something revolutionary so they were bound to have a meltdown where-as the majority of general movie goers at the time knew nothing about the film so they were probably more intrigued when they see these epic images of floating mountains, big badass robots and visually stunning landscapes. Just because a lot of movie fanatics on forums were letdown by stupidly high expectations it doesn't mean the trailer was bad. I also seem to remember the 2nd trailer being loved.

[Jessie]

The movie itself was the only marketing tool Avatar ever got.Just pure word of mouth.

Then how did it open to a massive 77m for an original movie with no stars? Wasn't it the 2nd biggest OW for a December release?

[AniNate]

Sometimes laying down the whole story is exactly what you need to do with a trailer. They did the same thing with Titanic.

[acab]

I really love Avatar's 2nd trailer. Actually i consider it one of the most epic trailers ever. I know it shows the whole story but i think it worked perfectly for the film. And to be honest there wasn't any great twists in the movie that could be exposed. Plus it most definitely didn't lack in money-shots.

[Elessar]

All I know is that in late November/early December 2009, the geekdom was predicting nothing but doom for the Smurfs in space.

No, that was when the teaser came out. Avatar day and the final trailer turned that around.

[The Futurist]

Revisionism.It works.I am telling you, the buzz before the movie release was flat/negative.The movie was the only marketing tool.Fox didn't like the movie, the blue people, the message, so they didn't believe in it, abandonned Cameron during production ( he had to find a new partner to complete the budget) and didn't know how to sell it.And the press, the Hollywood town secretly wanted it to bomb just like they did for Titanic.If you think people go to see a movie because of its marketing campaign, well that's your loss I guess.Avatar got stagering word of mouth, the best since titanic.I think a see a patern emerging here.

[Elessar]

Geez, i'm not telling the sentiment was that it's gonna break out, just that it wasn't all doom and gloom few weeks before release.I don't think it was disclosed what was going on with Fox, all we know is that the movie was co-financed by another party.People do go see movies because of marketing campaigns, marketing builds initial awareness. After opening weekend WOM takes over and yes, it was amazing for Avatar, i think nobody is denying that.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Elessar

[kayumanggi]

Then how did it open to a massive 77m for an original movie with no stars? Wasn't it the 2nd biggest OW for a December release?

It could have even broken the record if not for the storms.

[Ball Lightning]

If you think people go to see a movie because of its marketing campaign, well that's your loss I guess.

Then how do you get $77m in its opening weekend. In December? Or how it had a $25m opening day, that especially has nothing to do with WOM.

[4815162342]

Maybe Futurist is mixing up Avatar with The Last Airbender?

[vc2002]

Maybe Futurist is mixing up Avatar with The Last Airbender?

Wait, you mean they were not the same movie?

[kayumanggi]

Maybe not. TLA is Paramount not Fox.

[4815162342]

Wait, you mean they were not the same movie?

OMG you figured out the biggest twist of all...James Cameron is a hologram doing M. Night Shyamalan's bidding!