The Billionaires Club

Epic super hero film “The Avengers” has officially been inducted into the world’s list of the highest grossing films of all time, ranking in at number three. Not only is it breaking this U.S. record just a month after opening, but it’s also taking this spot on a global list as well.

What does it take to be a top grossing film in today’s market? It’s a list that has always fluctuated, having to take several things into consideration including the price of tickets has increased, there is a substantially larger number of theaters on a global scale, the value of not only the dollar, but most world-wide currency has changed, and the world’s population is also markedly larger than when the film industry first started to bloom.

For twenty-five years, “Gone with the Wind” held the title for top movie, but in today’s film market, you can’t even find it within the top fifty grossing films. When you adjust this list for inflation, or the increases of prices over time in the economic world, this film once again finds itself in the number one spot. In fact, the inflated list, which is largely discredited because of the large time gaps between top films, has a much different look than the most recently and currently accepted list. In fact, only two movies remain on both – both belonging to James Cameron – “Titanic” and “Avatar”. These are two of the only non-disputed movies where critics and box office analysts can agree they belong on each.

Therefore, how much do these numbers really matter? And will they still matter in fifty years when the top contenders today will be considered too old to still be featured on the list, and will only be remembered for their financial feats when once again, adjusted for inflation. I feel that the numbers today are still not as significant as they once were, as less people are making their way out to the theaters with piracy more prevalent than ever, and they are simply a reflection of the rising cost of entertainment in today’s world.