James Cameron's epic is now officially the biggest movie ever. Avatar has passed Titanic to take the #1 spot among the highest grossing films of all time, both in the U.S. and internationally (Gone With the Wind still reigns when inflation is taken into account). So what does this mean for the future of the film industry, and for the future of science fiction in particular? Avatar was always pegged as a game-changer, but now it's time to ask, "what game?" and "what changes?"

     The most obvious effect of Avatar's success is the greenlighting of Avatar 2. Cameron claims to have an idea in mind for a trilogy, which makes this franchise seem more and more like a Star Wars for a new generation. With Cameron's last two films ranking as the first and second highest grossing films ever, he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants. His next project was rumored to be a Battle Angel Alita film (also using extensive motion capture), but that may be on hold if an Avatar sequel is put on the fast-track.
     Ironically, the success of Avatar may pave the way for films like Battle Angel to be made more often. Avatar's success should lead directly to the production of more big-budget science fiction epics. If Cameron could do it, surely others can too. Following Titanic there was a slew of historical epics/romances which tried to recapture the magic of that forbidden love story. After the success of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, there were countless failed attempts to launch similar fantasy series. My hope is that in the coming years, studios will pour big money into large-scale space operas. The best case scenario being that Avatar launches a golden age for sci-fi cinema, and the worst being that we get to see a few really interesting failures before the trend dies.
     It's not just conventional space operas that should benefit from Avatar's success. Weird and inventive sci-fi should also get a boost. Studios often shy away from concepts that can't be easily explained or made relatable to the movie-going public. Cameron's avatar concept is one such invention, as are the intricacies of the Nav'i culture and the world of Pandora. Sci-fi that is so far from our normal comfort zone (literally, in that it's not set on Earth), is usually not given much of a chance by Hollywood, and is more often the territory of pulp novels and anime. Although frequently imaginative, anime often alienates mainstream American viewers due to awkward translations of both language and culture. If the breakthrough of Avatar means more anime-like projects will connect with American audiences, then that is a big positive for sci-fi fans.
     But what about the element that was originally lauded as the most game-changing? Avatar's use of 3D was supposed to change how we see movies. While the possibility yet remains that 3D may be used by serious filmmakers as an artistic tool in dramas, comedies, and action movies alike, it seems more likely that it will remain a gimmick. The effect of Avatar is to make 3D a far more pervasive gimmick than ever before. Clash of the Titans has been delayed by a week in order to complete its conversion to 3D. The next Harry Potter installment will be entirely in 3D. Rumors abound regarding the possibility of the Star Wars films being redone in 3D.
     The unfortunate fact is that, so far, studios are betting money on 3D being the aspect of Avatar which made it so successful. We will likely see more and more 3D spectacles, but the subject matter of such films will remain mostly the same. The next Transformers film will be in 3D, as will a possible 3rd Iron Man flick. Hollywood will stick to their formulas and embrace the financial sure bets. There will also continue to be plenty of 3D action films that rely entirely on the 3D effect, making them compare as unfavorably to regular action movies as My Bloody Valentine 3D did to normal horror movies. This trend should start to dissipate once the market becomes flooded with 3D films and consumers have a choice of what 3D horror or action film to see on any given weekend. Whether one should anticipate that day with hope or fear is not yet clear.
     One fun aspect of Avatar is that its legacy is still in the making. It is up for nine Academy Awards which could further solidify its place in history. The film is also still going strong at the box office, falling to second place this past weekend for the first time since it opened in mid-December. Avatar has quickly become part of pop culture and is already the subject of study and parody. Fans are starting to take ownership of it just as they have done with all of the major sci-fi franchises, and the internet is feeding into this more than ever before. The effects of Avatar's success won't be completely clear for years to come, but the "game-changer" moniker so often bestowed on the film certainly seems likely to hold up.