James Cameron’sAvatar: The Way of Watermay be the director’s most popular film right now, but in a few weeks, moviegoers will be treated to a remaster ofTitanicthat Cameron believes had to get a special Valentine’s Day premiere.
Titanicoriginally came out in December 1997 and quickly became a massive hit, unlike anything the world had seen up to that point in history, cementingThe Terminatorcreator’s legacyas one of Hollywood’s most prestigious filmmakers. OnlyAvatarandAvengers: Endgamehave beatenTitanic’s box office record since then. Athough Cameron has reworked the film to add 3D in the past,Titanicis getting a 4K HDR high frame rate treatment for its 25th anniversary.
Related:How Does Avatar 2 Compare To James Cameron’s Other Sequels?
Cameron addressed theTitanicrerelease in a recent interview withSiriusXM, mentioning this event is all about giving a new generation of people who never had the chance to seeTitanicon the big screen the opportunity to do so. The director said, “I figured that I was probably not going to be around for the 50th anniversary, so why not celebrate the 25th anniversary?” Cameron saidthe Valentine’s Day date was chosenbecause that happened to beTitanic’s best day at the box office back in 1998, which was “very unusual for a film that’s been in the marketplace for two months.”
Cameron calls this rerelease “a celebration of love" meant to remember the film’s accomplishments and success. One thing worth noting is that, as Cameron mentions, the only thing that’s been added toTitanic’s 2023 rerelease is the Dolby Atmos sound. That is because the movie was originally shot in 48fps, and all the remastering work was done 10 years ago, which included spending $18 million in adding 3D features.
In 2012,Titanic’s rerelease made close to $350 million worldwide. Even if streaming has changed the movie business, for many, the possibility of seeing this film in modern cinemas is worth contributing to its $2.195 billion box office total. Funnily enough, ifTitanicdoes well on Valentine’s Day, any extra revenue will push itfurther away fromAvatar: The Way of Water, which is currently number six on the list of highest-grossing movies with $2,024 billion and counting.
What’s most impressive about all these records is that Cameron has three movies among the highest earners ever, including the firstAvataras undisputed number one. With that kind of track record, it’s no wonderAvatar 3is already a guarantee for 2024, with at least two more sequels in the cards.
