'Avatar' sets first-day Blu-ray sales record
THR EXCLUSIVE



Featuring a 2D version of the theatrical blockbuster for now, DVDs and Blu-ray discs of James Cameron's "Avatar" were flying off store shelves Thursday, the movie's first day in stores.

Recent market momentum for Blu-ray enthusiasm was apparent, as Blu-ray sales of "Avatar" -- at 1.5 million copies -- well outpaced first-day sales of previous high-def top dog "The Dark Knight." An early industry estimate set overall disc sales of the title comfortably north of 4 million units, putting it well on track to become the year's top-selling release to date.

Retailers sold out of 60% of their Blu-ray inventory on average, a Fox rep said. He declined to specify unit shipments.

Mass merchants moved out roughly 50% of their "Avatar" DVDs, the spokesman added.

Due to the epic's ecological theme, Fox Home Entertainment broke with the industry's Tuesday release date norm and scheduled the title's disc releases to coincide with Earth Day. Cameron and others connected to the film have been participating in a host of green-themed events as part of the movie's home-entertainment campaign.

Cameron and pic producer Jon Landau attended a symbolic tree-planting ceremony on the Fox lot Thursday.

"We're not focusing on sales," "Avatar" producer Jon Landau said. "We're focusing on the events. There were 300 kids there today. They're the future, so this is raising awareness, and that's a great thing."

A 3D version of the pic is expected to hit Blu-ray Disc early next year. Fox and the filmmakers wanted to wait until a greater number of homes were equipped with 3D Blu-ray players.

Though 3D-enabled players only recently became available, virtually all new Blu-ray players will boast that capability by year's end.

The first DVDs lack even special features of the sort typically included on disc releases. A special edition release is expected to hit stores in November and will include extensive bonus features.

"We could not have had the special material we wanted to have but will have it for the special edition," Landau said.

Despite the lean-and-mean nature of the release, Fox figures "Avatar" eventually will surpass Summit/Universal's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" as the year's best-selling disc. "New Moon" moved 4 million units in its first two days -- after launching on a Friday, at midnight -- and has sold 6.5 million copies on DVD and Blu-ray to date.

Many Best Buy locations and other retailers stayed open until midnight Wednesday to allow witching-hour early birds to flock to stores and snatch the first "Avatar" discs.

"To me, about it's never about opening day," Landau insisted. "It's, where are you after your third weekend? I think we as an industry, and as consumers, have been putting too much emphasis on opening days."

AVATAR 2 will continue several years after the events of the original. It will also lay the groundwork for the other moons in the system. Things are going to get quite "weird" to the point of becoming somewhat abstract! Each movie will stand on its own and there will definitely be NO shooting the sequels back to back. Trilogy? Actually no. The sky is no limit for this universe - the plot lines are endless.

AVATAR 2 SPOILER ALERT: This is verbatim from my source...

Received my Avatar today:



This is little Aiman's favorite movie, we watched 3 times in theaters. He's gonna freak-out when I bring this home later.

This is technically the best blu-ray ever. Definitely reference disc. Everybody who at least likes this movie should upgrade to BLU now if you haven't already. The most beautiful, sharpest, detailed, outstanding picture quality I've ever seen, and believe me I've seen a lot. The shot in space with the space station is now my Windows logon wallpaper. Amazing.

For those who plays IMVU, they have Avatar characters now for both male and female

This is technically the best blu-ray ever. Definitely reference disc. Everybody who at least likes this movie should upgrade to BLU now if you haven't already. The most beautiful, sharpest, detailed, outstanding picture quality I've ever seen, and believe me I've seen a lot. The shot in space with the space station is now my Windows logon wallpaper. Amazing.

It stated BLU-RAY + DVD...what that means? Do they have both versions?

How much you bought it?

Official Fox Trailer For The AVATAR Re-release Online! 8 Additional Minutes Is Coming!!

This is an official trailer, verified by Fox! Check out what James Cameron has in store for us on August 27.

I have the 2D blu-ray of AVATAR but it does it no justice when compared to big screen 3D. Count me at the head of the line!

A full 8 minutes of additional footage will be included.

Personally, I will be looking for clues as to what might make it into the sequel(s). Take this screencap from the trailer for example - Jake is playing with a mobile depicting the gas giant Polyphemus and its moons (including Pandora). QUESTION: How does a bow and arrow culture know about the shape and color of their own planet? Were they taught by humans, like Grace? Interesting!

Special edition of Avatar to hit cinemas

Good news, Avatar fans!

If you didn't get enough of the mega-hit movie the first time around, never fear, for Avatar's here. Again.

Set for a big-screen return, an extended version of Avatar will be shown in local cinemas with an additional eight minutes of never-before-seen footage, exclusively in 3D.

If you've been stuck in a deep sleep somewhere in a far flung stasis chamber in a galaxy far, far away and have no idea what Avatar is, well, here's the gist of it:

Avatar is, to date, the highest grossing film of all time.

Director James Cameron takes audiences to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. 

The movie also delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the epic nature of the story.

Avatar will return in GSC, TGV and Cathay Cineplexes from August 24.

Sauce: http://www.dailychilli.com/happenings/5581...-to-hit-cinemas

Yep. 2 weeks from now

For a few minutes extra - why not save it for the BD instead? 

are you kidding??

the studio must MILK IT!!!