Avatar, released on December 18, 2009, has risen to the top of the charts as the number one grossing movie of all time. As of November 2023, Avatar has made a total of 2.92 billion dollars and earned 82% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. According to Rotten Tomatoes, in only seven weeks, 595 million dollars were made in the North American box office. On February 10, 2010, the film made history in foreign countries by being the only film to ever earn 2 billion dollars outside of the domestic box office, making it the highest grossing movie globally.
Avatar is an action, adventure, and fantasy movie where the beings known as avatars, created by humans, go to the planet of Pandora and live among its natives, the Na’vi. Shortly after their arrival, the story shifts from an innocent journey of exploration to a story about love and war. According to the Monthly Film Festival, Avatar became so popular because there was so much detail in the environment, that made the viewer feel like Pandora was a real place.
Avengers: Endgame, released on April 26, 2019, is the final movie starring the original Avengers. In less than two weeks after its first release, Endgame earned over 620 million dollars, and has now grossed 2.8 billion dollars overall, breaking accolade after accolade. It was re-released two months after its initial release and was able to surpass Avatar. However, Avatar’s re-release in China took back its spot at number one on the charts.
Endgame spotlights the last of the Avengers and their struggle to bring their allies back from the Blip and finally defeat Thanos. They realize very quickly, though, that the task will be much harder than they originally thought. As explained by IMDB, Endgame was popular for its amazing technological effects and astounding action scenes, “Avengers: Endgame is an epic and satisfying conclusion to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that is deserving of its spot.”
Released on December 16, 2022, Avatar: The Way of the Water quickly became one of the highest grossing movies of all time. This sequel to the ever popular Avatar movie earned 2.32 billion dollars in less than one year after its release. According to Rotten Tomatoes, at the time of its release, it was at the top of the box office for seven weeks, the same as Avatar. It also spent 15 weeks in the top 10 most watched movies, whereas Avatar only made it to top 16.
In Avatar: The Way of the Water, the peaceful tranquility of the Na’vi’s lives are threatened by old enemies and the fear of losing everything they have built. According to another school paper, popularity for this Avatar sequel seems to come from its amazing CGI, creative plot, and sensational characters.
Originally released in 1997, Titanic has grossed about $2.265 billion dollars. James Cameron, director of the two Avatar movies, directed Titanic.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, he is known for going over budget and directing the most expensive movies according to Rotten Tomatoes. Titanic held number one in the box office for 15 weeks and would hold this record for 12 years, until the first Avatar movie was released. The movie has earned 14 Oscar nominations and won the award 11 times in these categories.
Titanic is a romance and adventure movie based on the fatal crash of the RMS Titanic in 1912 and is a little over three hours long. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio play the two leads; Rose DeWitt Bukater, a wealthy woman, and Jack Dawson, a third-class ticket holder. Love and tragedy strike the hearts of viewers as one of cinema’s most famous couples comes across their most challenging obstacle.
Since premiering in 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes in as the fifth highest-earning movie ever with 2.07 billion dollars. J.J. Abrams, director of The Force Awakens, had worried excessively whether or not people would still be interested in the Star Wars trilogy, according to Rotten Tomatoes. He attempted to combine some aspects of the older movies with some of the new, and it turned out to be a success. A long, extended war with old and new enemies sparks debate of love and hate of viewers in this adventure sci-fi movie.
When looking at why these movies’ became so popular, it is clear to see that the highest grossing movies come from productions with great visual effects and plots, but the movie’s hype and fan base before the premiere also played a large part in the movies’ popularity.