Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

Since taking the helm as CEO of 20th Century Fox, Alan Ryder rarely paid close attention to a film's box office performance.

"Got the numbers yet? How's the box office looking?"

Even someone as composed as him couldn't help but feel a surge of joy when he saw the figures. 34.2 million dollars. Sure, it was slightly lower than Joker's single-day record by about 10,000, but James Cameron's films always had staying power. Plus, many theaters were still scrambling to convert to 3D IMAX screens, which hadn't even started showing it yet. This result came mostly from 2D theaters.

Martin got the news too.

Drew, lying beside him, remarked, "Doesn't seem that high."

Yang Mi chimed in, "Yeah, looks like Avatar won't outdo your Joker."

Still reeling from the previous night's spectacle, Yang Mi nodded in agreement.

Martin, with a mysterious grin, said, "Just wait. This monumental film's box office is going to drop everyone's jaws."

Avatar was released in three formats: standard theaters, 3D theaters, and IMAX 3D. Its massive success sparked a global boom in 3D and IMAX 3D theaters, eventually making them the mainstream way to watch films.

...

"I thought I'd fall asleep during the 162-minute runtime, but I didn't blink once."

"This is a movie where every single frame demands your attention. James Cameron created a whole new world."

"Guys, I saw it too, but it wasn't that great, was it? Pretty average story. The visuals were stunning, though."

"What does Avatar even mean? Weird title. I haven't seen it yet—is it worth it?"

"The guy above is right, but let me tell you, you have to see it in 3D or IMAX 3D. The effect is absolutely mind-blowing."

Those who watched the 2D version found the story ordinary. But those who saw the 3D or IMAX 3D versions were floored. Mainstream media reviews leaned heavily positive, largely because critics typically saw the 3D version.

"This is an era-defining film. I think Hollywood's film industry should be split into two eras: pre-Avatar and post-Avatar."

"Everyone who gets to experience this jaw-dropping movie in theaters should thank one person—Martin Meyers. The project actually started back in 1998. James Cameron hoped to ride the global success of Titanic to get Avatar into theaters by 1999. But the massive 300-million-dollar budget scared off every studio. The project was indefinitely shelved until Martin stepped in and said, 'I'm willing to invest.' His backing pushed 20th Century Fox, fearing they'd lose Cameron, to cover the other half of the funding. Without that, we wouldn't have Avatar as we know it today."

Avatar's buzz didn't just dominate entertainment media—it spilled over into tech news.

"Since Hollywood entered the 2000s, visual effects blockbusters have been relentless, with The Lord of the Rings trilogy leading the charge. You could say Lord of the Rings revolutionized the global visual effects industry. James Cameron himself admitted he was inspired by Gollum, a character created through motion-capture technology, marking the maturity of that technique. So, when Avatar's production began, Cameron brought in Weta Digital, the studio behind The Lord of the Rings, along with Industrial Light & Magic, to handle the film's visual effects. With motion capture, the three-meter-tall Na'vi were brought to life with stunning realism."

"Reports say Cameron used 1,600 special effects shots in the film. Aside from 40% live-action scenes, 60% of the movie's visuals were created with costly computer technology. That's why the budget was so astronomical."

"Avatar is undeniably the pioneer of 3D cinema. To shoot it, Cameron even redesigned 3D cameras, simulating human binocular vision to make the stereoscopic effect feel more real."