Epic virtual-reality flick packing out cinemas

Avatar fans throughout Hawke's Bay are being encouraged to prebook tickets to secure a seat in the cinema, with sessions still selling out more than two weeks after its release.
The duty manager for Reading Cinemas in Napier, Megan Jensen, said fans of all ages had flocked to Hawke's Bay theatres to see the sci-fi action movie, one of the most expensive films made.
"It's been popular with everyone, really," she said.
"It's good for the kids and adults. There are some people who have loved it so much that they've come in a few times. There's one guy that has seen it four times," she said.
Sixteen-year-old Emma Nevard saw it for the second time yesterday with friend 15-year-old Rosie Crawkey who had tried to see it earlier but couldn't get a ticket.
"It was an epic movie," Rosie said this morning. "They just did such a good job and it's now one of my favourite movies."
It's filled with big names both in front of and behind the camera and it was made with big money, a total of $554 million thanks to 20th Century Fox.
Avatar, filmed entirely in 3D, was directed by James Cameron, director of Titanic, the highest-grossing movie of all time.
While Cameron conceived the idea for Avatar 14 years ago, he had to wait for technology to catch up in order to film it.
Sir Peter Jackson's Weta Digital company was on board to help with visual effects.
It came with big expectations, too, and it hasn't disappointed critics or fans.
Ms Jensen said the verdict from viewers had been favourable. "I haven't even seen it myself because it's just been too full," she said. "Every session, every day."
Cinema manager for Reading Cinemas in Hastings, Leonie Lewis, said they had to move the screening from a 70-seat cinema to a 200-seat cinema to meet demand.
Other movies proving popular in Hawke's Bay this holiday season are Alvin and the Chipmunks, Sherlock Holmes and The Lovely Bones.
And if that's not enough to get you into the theatre, air conditioning and ice creams just may do the trick.
Avatar sped past the US$1 billion ($1.42 billion) mark at the worldwide box office after three weekends in release, making it the fourth-biggest movie of all time, according to data released yesterday.
It earned US$1.02 billion, powered by sales of US$202 million during the New Year holiday weekend, distributor 20th Century Fox said. North American moviegoers chipped in US$68.3 million, setting a record for a film in its third weekend.