Need I remind you what Star Wars fans were saying prior to Phantom Menace's launch on the internet?
- "I think most of you don't get it, do you? Star Wars sold 178,119,595 tickets nationwide. 47,259,147 tickets more than Titanic. Do your math! It would be $817M if not for inflation! Even without the re-release, it would still have 148,006,912 tickets. More than 18,000,000 tickets more! It would have $680M. Now even if half of the people who saw the original went to see this one, it would gross $410M. Add to this potential non-fans who go for the curiosity - if it gets at least $200M, Titanic's record would sink! Instead of giving lame reasons people, use facts. Titanic will sink! Oh and my source was Exhibitor Relations, Co. In other words, these are facts from people who tally box office scores. P.S. If you want to see historical, see something important like Schindler's List. Masterpiece.
The original SW grossed 330M without taking inflation into account. Convert it into today's value and it would easily top Titanic's puny 600M. Also not forgetting the re-release which took in another 130M, the total gross of Episode 4 in today's value would be more than a billion dollars. That amount alone is enough to sink Titanic two times. Contrary to popular beliefs, TPM will appeal to more people than Titanic. Titanic's hardcore fans are mostly young women who each went to watch it 5-10 times. That, TPM can counter easily with its own hardcore fans of young men who would probably watch it 10-15 times. Titanic's fans may be women who made up 60% of America's population, but TPM's fans would be the WHOLE of America; from the teenagers who first watch it in 1977 (who are now in their middle ages and would bring along their wives and kids to watch TPM), to the teenagers of today (including girls who would spent al least 1-2 times on TPM). Everything said, TPM would gross 1 BILLION in the States alone, and that record should stay intact for as long as until the next "movie-revolution", possibly when Lucas decides to release Episode 7,8 and 9 in full VR format!
The Titanic figure of $600 Million is no match for The Phantom Menace. Check the Gallup poll (http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr990507.asp) and do the math. The question isn't if it will go over $600 Million but how soon and by how much
Episode 1 has already brought in, pre-release, more money than Titanic ever will. As far as Box office records, I'd bet everything i have that Episode 1 will reclaim the title for the Star Wars family.
This movie will be lucky to beat Jurassic World, much less Avatar.
Star Wars fans AND George Lucas were REALLY butt hurt when Titanic destroyed the original movie at the box office. From Star Wars fans chanting "LEO SUCKS!" to George Lucas admitting defeat during the filming of Menace ("We're never going to beat Titanic") I think most Star Wars fans firmly admitted defeat once they actually saw Episode I.
Although it's funny seeing Star Wars fans so smug in early May 1999, but once the reviews and screenings for the movie started pouring in they got super nervous.