Even though they're heavily promoting the movie's groundbreaking special effects and painstaking, years-long production process, Fox is for some reason busy denying rumors that Avatar could have cost anything close to $500 million, when that number has popped up repeatedly in the press. Responding to a New York Times article title with the on-the-nose "A Movie's Budget Pops From the Screen," Fox exec Jack Gianopulos called the $500 million figure "a ridiculous number."

Digital Spy quoted Gianopulos from his Reuters interview, saying ""There is no question [that it was expensive]. But viewed now, from the perspective of its completion and having seen it, it's a formidable work and money well spent."

Presumably a few years down the line, once the book on Avatar has been written and nobody has anything to lose, we'll finally get the real story about the movie's budget. After all, it made a much better story when Titanic was the most expensive movie ever made and also the most profitable. If Avatar can pull off the same feat, I have a feeling Fox will be a lot more forthcoming with the facts. For now we can only know that Avatar cost a whole heck ton of money, and Fox is still nervous that the investment may not be recouped.