With about a month and a half until Avatar hits theaters, I'm still getting the impression that 20th Century Fox is fighting an uphill battle to make sure that moviegoers show up to see James Cameron's latest film.

In a prime example of synergy, Fox gave the 3D flick a big push during its broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks game as well as during Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday. Since 20th Century Fox has had about a six-month window to sell a $250 million movie, it should come as no surprise that they are running big stunts such as this.

There's no doubting that Avatar will open with respectable numbers. Millions of movie enthusiasts have been following Cameron's every word about the project for years now, and they'll show up in droves on opening weekend. It should also do quite well overseas. The problem is that for the film to be a true blockbuster, it needs to appeal to a much broader base than it is. Word did not spread as well as it should have after "Avatar Day" back in August when Cameron unveiled a 15-minute series of clips on 3D IMAX screens across the country. The event was intended to create a sense of excitement and anticipation. The people who didn't attend the screenings should have felt left out. Unfortunately, the reactions were mixed. The screening that I caught in San Francisco was met with enthusiasm at first before it felt as though the air was sucked out of the room.

During the rest of this month, there's bound to be a huge rush of television spots and maybe even a couple more exclusive clips will make their way to the web. The game is far from over, but at this point the level of buzz is not where it needs to be. Case in point: Disney's The Princess and the Frog page on Facebook currently boasts 41,542 fans, and that film opens wide December 11 after a limited release. Avatar only has 16,350 fans and it opens on December 18. The social networking site is rapidly becoming a reliable way to gauge interest in new movies. It shows that if marketing is successful, fans will go online and show their support.