After several delays spanning 13 years, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time, has hit theaters and earned a solid $17 million in advances at the domestic box office.
James Cameron’s underwater sequel, Avatar, is expected to gross $150-$175 million over its opening weekend in what would be considered one of the biggest debuts of 2022. The might of Pandora may not match the might of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($185 million opening weekend) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($181 million) are likely, however keep the best domestic openings of the year.
Domestically, The Way of Water opens in 4,202 theaters on Friday. Of the $17 million in previews, $2.63 million came from Imax 3D screenings. The film has been shown in a total of 44 international markets, where it has grossed US$50.4 million to date, excluding Chinese revenue. In China, it opened at $18.5 million and is expected to gross $100 million in its opening weekend and in advance sales.
In 2009, the original “Avatar” opened at just $77 million, a decent start. But thanks to excellent word of mouth and expensive 3D tickets, the film held the number one spot for seven weeks, eventually soaring to $760 million in North America and $2.92 billion worldwide.
The Way of Water hopes to recreate that kind of staying power. Repeat views and a clear holiday season should give the big-budget sequel a chance to grow its audience over the next few weeks. So far, Disney has reported that The Way of Water has pre-sold $38 million, beating Top Gun: Maverick ($126 million opening) and Jurassic World Dominion ($145 million). Opening), but behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Cameron’s film is set to surpass 2022’s other top debuts, Thor: Love and Thunder ($144 million opening) and The Batman ($134 million opening).
The Way of Water reportedly cost $350 million, and Cameron says it needs to reach stratospheric heights to break even. With rave reviews and a resurgence of Pandora fever, The Way of Water has officially started hitting the box office.