A recent New York Times article claims the budget for James Cameron’s upcoming sci-fi/fantasty/adventure Avatar is approaching $500 million dollars. This half-a-billion dollar claim includes the production AND the marketing. Many budget reports are bogus, even the previous $300 million price-tag for Avatar was reported incorrect, so take this lightly. NYT reports that Fox is hedging their bets and splitting up the cost among many “outside investors, network of allied companies and in-house business units.” Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos, the co-chairmen of Fox Filmed Entertainment, and Jon Landau, Mr. Cameron’s partner in their Lightstorm Entertainment production company all declined to be interviewed about the price. The article says the film will need to gross at least $250 million to be looking at any sort of profit, something only five films have done so far this year. Avatar has a back up though:

Taking no chances, Fox is backing up Mr. Cameron’s movie with what an executive recently called the studio’s “secret weapon. That would be “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel,” set to open just a week after studio marketers get “Avatar” into theaters. It is the relatively safe sequel to a chipper family comedy that cost about $60 million and took in $217 million at the domestic box office when it was released two years ago.

It was actually announced today that the furry chipmunk film got pushed up two days for a chance at more revenue. If it ends up making more money than Avatar, I may just quite living. The half-a-billion is large, but considering that it includes marketing as well you would probably be surprised how many other big budget films compare to Cameron’s latest. I can’t see it making more then his previous feature, Titanic, currently the highest grossing film of all time with $1.8 million worldwide gross, but I would be surprised if it is a complete failure.

Do you think Avatar will financially succeed?