The highly anticipated 3D film Avatar opened yesterday at midnight to some of the worst weather conditions to hit Beijing in half a century, but this did not appear to deter moviegoers.

Liu Hui, manager of Beijing's UME Huaxing International Cineplex, said her theater offers two options for moviegoers, one in 3D and the other in IMAX 3D, which offers better visual impact.

"For the midnight premiere, we were at 90 percent capacity for the 3D version and 100 percent for the IMAX 3D," she said, adding that the tickets for the IMAX 3D screening sold out two days prior to opening.