first post here...
I truly believe a Nolan movie will top Avatar. As Nolans career continues to progress in a rapid speed he adds more and more hits to his resume, much like Cameron with 90's hits like the terminator series, of course titanic. Avatar made the big bucks yes, but it still fell short with story and the characters werent really interesting. This really came through when avatar fell short of the best picture award at the oscars and lost to a best overall film The Hurt Locker that was directed by a fairly unfamiliar director in Katheryn Bigelow.Nolan in many respects is an overall better director and really has just gotten started it seems but has been around for 12 years, he has many qualities that directors such as cameron have, but doesnt follow the road of the "hollywood blockbuster" yet still manages to make quality films that focus on story and characters in a way other directors dont these days. So look out for a Nolan film to top Avatar both financially and critically.
Sorry, Nolan will never make a movie that outgrosses Titanic, let along Avatar.
It doesn't matter if you think Nolan is a more original storyteller than Cameron is. Cameron is a better storyteller in terms of reaching and appealing to the masses, that is unquestionable. Cameron knows how to create films that appeal to a global audience on an unprecedented scale. Worldwide, Titanic was the most successful movie of the 90s by a wide margin, and Avatar was the most successful movie of the 00s by a wide margin as well. Camerons latest movies are universal, and that is why they are successful. 3D and CGI only take you so far. You dont get to 3 billion dollars on that alone. Just as Avatar was coming out in China, you had people over there who were being kicked off their land by the industrial complex looking to raze their homes to the ground. You might say Avatar is unoriginal, but to other people in the world, its a dramatized (obviously) reminder of what is really happening to them. Its not a surprise Avatar became the most successful film in chinese history by a wide margin, despite the government wanting to remove the movie from theaters, to the protest of audiences.
Avatar was successful for many reasons. Not particualry in order: Awe inspiring visuals (of course), a universally recognized story that resonates accross the world, a plain as day anti-imperialistic agenda that appeals especially to those in Europe, and its a movie where emotion runs rampant. And of course, to tie that all together, its a skillfully made movie which is why all those things work. Cameron's cinematic language defies borders.
Putting aside the fact that I don't think Nolan is even close to Cameron in terms of being a technical director, I dont think it matters that he is slightly better at creating dialogue or at putting together "original" stories. Since you're talking about being able to make a film that can outgross Avatar, that would require being able to resonate on a worldwide scale like Cameron has proven he is able to. So I do not think Nolan has the ability to do that on the level of Cameron.
But then the question is, does Nolan even care to be able to achieve that? I do not think so. He seems to be comfortable where he is now. And where he is now is not a bad place to be at all, to put it lightly. I dont mean this to be a pissing match between both directors, as aside from comparing their technical skills, I think they are vastly different filmmakers.
As for what movie will beat Avatars Box Office? Domestically, it will happen, however I don't think a single movie listed in this thread will do it. As far as defeating its box office overseas, where it stands at TWO BILLION dollars...I do not think any movie will overcome it for more than a decade at the very least.
One of them may a have a very good chance.
