The Polar Express
Summary
The Polar Expresswas the top - grossing IMAX departure for five years until James Cameron’sAvatarbeat it out . This is a pregnant surprise since it ’s hard to categorize these two moving-picture show together regarding box office public presentation . Of course , both films used CGI and motion capture engineering to create visually arresting populace , and this has become the perfect formula for an IMAX feature . However , while Cameron’sAvataris one of the most successful photographic film of all time , The Polar Expresswas a box office bomb .
Released in 2004,The Polar Expresssought to add to life the classic Christmas book of account by Chris Van Allsburg . Though the storey was dim-witted , Warner Bros aimed to turn the Holy Writ into a full - feature film , concenter importantly on visual effects . Icon Tom Hanks was brought in to play a great bulk of the characters , but alternatively of the traditional method of acting in front of a camera on practically design set , the whole ofThe Polar Expresswas construct with CGI and movement capture technology . Though far more common today , this was a novel concept for 2004 and is a significant part of what madethe vacation classic ofThe Polar Expressso perfect for IMAX .
The Polar Express Had The Highest IMAX Box Office Gross Until Avatar Beat It In 2009
It ’s obvious when watchingThe Polar Expresstoday that it was specifically made for the largest of screen . The film focuses far more on spectacle than narration , with long chronological succession of the titular steam engine go across frigid landscapes , birds fly over steep waterfalls , and tempestuous animals run through the snow . The Polar Expresswas unambiguously enjoyable in the large - silver screen format , which explains its record $ 71 million at the IMAX box power . It was n’t until James Cameron’sAvatarwas released five class by and by thatThe Polar Expresswas dethroned .
ThoughThe Polar Express ' sizeable stint in the top spot is quite an accomplishment , it ’s a bit of a surprise since the picture was far from perfect — it seemed that another moving-picture show could have done better before 2009 . However , as well as the film execute in IMAX field , it came at quite a toll . The Polar Expresswas expensive , and while the landscapes look groovy , the motion capture was n’t a perfect success . It took those five years before engineering had develop enough to make this method of creating fabricated world worth it . Once Cameron proved he had worked outThe Polar Express ' kinks regarding persona appearanceand movement , lots of films feature with child CGI and motion gaining control were released and easily beat the Christmas film as well .
The Polar Express' Record-Breaking IMAX Gross Couldn’t Save It From Bombing At The Box Office
Warner Bros want to produce something that would blow IMAX audiences out , and they certainly succeeded withThe Polar Express . However , the film was still weigh a fiscal failure . It onlymanaged $ 162 million at the domesticated box office , lower thanPolar Express ' $ 165 million budget . So , though the motion-picture show had introduced the existence to the innovative techniques that would later make films likeAvatarandAvengers : Endgameinto IMAX hits , it was several age before anyone was crazy enough to take such a financial risk again .
These days , films that likewise utilize movement capture are released in theater yearly , soThe Polar Expresshas come from 1st to 137th stead in the IMAX genre ( viaBox Office Mojo).Avataris now in third situation , and most of the motion picture between them are from the major action at law , fantasy , and scientific discipline fable franchises that became big in the 2010s afterAvatar ’s success . ThoughThe Polar Expresscan no longer compare to these CGI and movement capture masterpieces , its place on the top spot for those five class provesthis Warner Bros holiday classic walk so that future IMAX collision could move .
