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$600 Million U.S Box Office Earnings

Will there ever be another movie that breaks the $600 million US earning mark for US Box Office sales? Titanic is currently the only movie that holds that honor. I honestly thought that Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith had a shot at reaching that milestone, but currently it is struggling to break $400 million US. Here is the all-time Box Office earnings list for the US:

US All Time Box Office

Hollywood has been in a recession of sorts over the last year, and no matter what big hitters they have tried to throw at the public (Star Wars, Batman Begins, War of the Worlds, Fantastic Four, to name a few), none have really raked in the turn-out that was expected. It makes you think whether another movie will ever have the success Titanic had. What do you think?

Earnings Office Box US Million

I think it will eventually be broken. The first spiderman came close. Movies go to DVD so fast now that allot of people just wait. This summer, Boogyman was out just three months after it left the theatre. Fantastic four will be at blockbuster before years end. Movie prices keep going up and DVD's come sooner and sooner, it may be while before we see another mega movie dollar maker.

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I'm not so sure about that, Konq. The first SpiderMan only just cleared $400 million. The first step to Box Office supremacy is anticipation. Then, when it is released, the next step is good reviews and word of mouth. Star Wars Episode III has all of these, and it may not even reach $400. I don't know if there is a movie in production, or that could be produced, that will create such a buzz again. Seems like $400 is the benchmark these days for a blockbuster movie.

Earnings Office Box US Million

Well we need to consider the leader (Titanic) and why that film is at the top.

1. It is based on history (very detailed)
2. It starred an actor that young teen girls love
3. It had music that reached the top 10 by known artists
4. It had hot romance scenes

Now you just have to look for a film based on those four items above and.

Earnings Office Box US Million

Hey JB, I can remember a movie that met at least 3 of the 4 metrics you mentioned, and was pretty close on the fourth. It was 'Pearl Harbor'. It only netted $198 million.

1. It is based on history (very detailed) - Pearl Harbor
2. It starred an actor that young teen girls love - 2 of them (Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett)
3. It had music that reached the top 10 by known artists - "There you'll be" by Faith Hill received numerous nominations and won a couple of awards. Not sure how high it reached on the billboard chart, but Faith Hill is well known.
4. It had hot romance scenes - If I recall correctly, there was at least one if not two.

Can you feel my skepticism?

$600 Million U.S Box Office Earnings

Yeah, but Pearl Harbor really was not about love and romance, it was more about a historical tragedy set from a general perspective, but with Titanic it is more than a historical event since scenes before, on and after the ship sinks is focused on the main couple. People like films they can feel attached to where they can feel as though they are the one 'kissing the girl'. Pearl Harbor, did not give that effect. Pearl Harbor affected the USA so it appeals to those who want to see this, but the Titanic affected more than the USA, Ireland and Britain so you get contributive support from those countries too.

$600 Million U.S Box Office Earnings

I'm not sure I agree with this, JB. The movie was really about a love triangle between 2 Air Force pilots, and a nurse. Here is a description from imdb.com

The classic story of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is told through the eyes of two boyhood friends, now serving as officers in the Army Air Corps. Rafe is an energetic young pilot who is selected to fly with the British in Europe while America is still not at war. After Rafe is shot down and presumed killed, however, Danny comforts Rafe's former lover, Evelyn, and the two draw closer. But, when Rafe turns up alive, the two former friends become enemies, and it is through the turmoil of Pearl Harbor that the two may reconcile their differences

I agree that Pearl Harbor is a major event in US history, but it did affect the World, in my opinion, as it was a major turning point in World War II. However, that is the topic of another discussion. I was just trying to show that not every historical event, with some love and romance mixed in, is blockbuster material. Coming back to the subject of this discussion, Titanic somehow managed to stay #1 for 15 weeks (a record). At the end of these 15 weeks, it had already racked up $515+ million. It was released 12/19/97, so a couple of days before Christmas. There probably wasn't much in the movie theaters during this time. Another factor was that the economy here in the US during that time was much better than it is today. Just some food for thought. I'm still baffled by how well it did.

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I am not down playing the relevance of the actual attack on Pearl Harbor, I am down playing its relevance as a film to make money as compared with Titanic which more people can relate to - that is the point I was trying to make, but of course all of this is pure speculation and I am still amazed that such a film could make so much money.