Post Script: Nationwide - IMAX theaters are sold out through Christmas break... sold out, Chris.
I love being mentioned, though I don't know why exactly I deserve this honor. I have never said anything about the cost, popularity or box office of AVATAR. But going by savvy discussions of the production cost of the movie, it may be about $280 million for production plus marketing costs, and if the current take worldwide is $381 million as is currently estimated on Box Office Mojo, , then the movie is already turning a profit.

But as tabuno diplomatically puts it,
Super popularity is a rather fascinating phenomenon.
So is super profitability. Both are phenomena separate from artistic merit or narrative interest..