Avatar 2 Passes $1 Billion In 14 Days, Now 33rd Biggest Movie Ever; Avatar Franchise Hits $4 Billion

@Barighm: I did not know this. Movies make a lot more in syndication now then ever, even more then VCR and DVD era. With each syndication license, streaming sites now pay much more then your TBS, or USA. Even stinkers will do well in this era as compared to big hit movies as Nielsen numbers or sales do matter as much.

Movie studios or their investors also keep a lot more money for these movies now then ever. Where once actors, directors, editors and more used to get decent royalties through their unions ... (where a movie like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) ... would pay a royalty with each new syn. lic.. Now movies deals edit out the royalties that actors, or creators would get. So a successful cult hit movie like say, Princess Bride, would rake in money for the producers or investors -- year after year, but they would no longer have to give any to the creatives.

Now creative groups (actors/agents/assistants) (directors, dir assistants, etc) (editors, etc) are getting paid outright and or offered a % of the box office take. Stars and directors that do press junkets or promos, is included or offered a good bit more. Some actors, comedians, social media elites, etc make a lot of money just doing promos, podcasts, etc. Which is paid out through over budgeted promotions. It is the long term game that pays the most.

Oh and like you said above, ..... no one is getting licensing of merchandise except for the studios/investors. The days of George Lucas who got the merchandising rights is... long gone. It all goes back to the initial investors.

Tax breaks given to these studios and corporations is insane now as compared to 20yrs ago, 30, or even in the 80s! There is a reason there is so many new movies, and shows, and reality junk... it has become much harder to fail. Who is paying their taxes.... we are, the middle class taxpayers are eating these taxes in so many ways.

It will be years and years before anyone knows just how well these huge blockbusters do. Some movies just make gobs of money immediately and then quickly forgotten, some do poorly but just pick up steam later on and stay relevant forever. As for AVATAR... it will be okay, I am not worried about billionaires and their pet projects.... they will be just fine.