鈥� 鈥� didn鈥檛 make quite as big of a splash as many assumed it would, but James Cameron鈥檚 big budget spectacle still helped breathe life into the box office this weekend. The sequel earned $134 million from North American theaters and $300.5 million internationally for a $434.5 million global debut, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
It tied with 鈥淭he Batman鈥� as the fourth highest domestic debut of the year, behind 鈥淒octor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness鈥� ( ), 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever,鈥� ( ) and 鈥淭hor: Love and Thunder鈥� ($144.2 million in July).
Expectations were enormous for 鈥淎vatar 2,鈥� which carried a reported price tag of over $350 million, the pressure of following up the highest grossing film of all time (thanks in part to various re-releases) over a decade later and the daunting task of propping up an exhibition business that鈥檚 still far from normal. Everything 鈥淎vatar鈥� is oversized, though: the Na鈥檝i characters, the runtime (a staggering three hours and 12 minutes), the technical advancements and the release strategy from 20th Century Studios and The Walt Disney Co.
Going into the weekend many were expecting a domestic debut of at least $150 million. Some even said $175 or higher, but tracking has also not been as reliable a metric during the pandemic.
The film began its international rollout on Wednesday and debuted in North America on Thursday evening. Domestically, 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥� was released in 4,202 theaters on over 12,000 screens, 400 of which were IMAX 3D. The studio and filmmakers bet big on the draw, and higher prices, of the 3D format and premium large screens.
By the end of Friday, 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥� had already earned $53 million in the U.S. and Canada and $180.1 million globally, aided by a China release 鈥� the first major Hollywood release in the country since 鈥淢inions: The Rise of Gru鈥� in August. It blows 鈥淎vatar鈥檚鈥� $26.7 million first day in 2009 out of the water, though that didn鈥檛 include Thursday previews.
Over $48.8 million of the global total came from IMAX screens alone (1,543 in 80 markets), the second biggest weekend ever for the company.
鈥淎s excited as we are about these early results, we anticipate a long and successful run for 鈥楢vatar: The Way of Water,鈥�" said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, in a statement.
As with many ambitious Cameron projects, from 鈥淭itanic鈥� to the first 鈥淎vatar,鈥� nerves were high for the costly sequel, one of the most expensive of all time, which began production five years ago. It faced repeated delays and weathered . It鈥檚 also one of four 鈥淎vatar鈥� sequels Cameron had in mind. Filming on the third movie, which shot simultaneously with 鈥淭he Way of Water,鈥� is done, with an expected release in December 2024.
In the 13 years since the first film, 鈥淎vatar鈥� has also been the butt of jokes for the perception that the biggest movie of all time, one that has made nearly $3 billion, has left a relatively minor footprint in the culture. But even so, critics have largely been on board with 鈥淭he Way of Water,鈥� not just for the visuals but also for improving on the story of the first. It holds a 78% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
The question of whether 鈥淎vatar 2鈥� will earn enough is a complicated one with varied answers. Is it enough for exhibitors, who鈥檝e had several significant hits this year, including 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥� 鈥淏lack Panther 2鈥� and 鈥淒octor Strange 2,鈥� but are still hurting? Is it enough to justify starting production on fourth and fifth movies? Is it enough for the business as a whole, which is looking at a domestic year-end total in the $8 billion range, as opposed to a pre-pandemic normal of $11 billion?
But like the critics shouting 鈥渘ever doubt James Cameron,鈥� the studio and analysts are singing a similar tune.
鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥� has the benefit of a holiday corridor that is, relatively speaking, lacking in major blockbuster-style movies. Next week sees the debut of Damien Chazelle鈥檚 鈥淏abylon鈥� and the family-friendly 鈥淧uss in Boots: The Last Wish鈥� but there are no comparable blockbusters until 鈥淎nt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania鈥� in February. The hope is that audiences will continue seeking 鈥淎vatar 2鈥� out for weeks and months to come, similar to the first movie.
鈥淗istorically James Cameron鈥檚 movies are about the long haul, not the opening weekend,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. 鈥�'Avatar' is going to develop its box office over time. It's about where it will end up months from now.鈥�
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water,鈥� $134 million.
2. 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever,鈥� $5.4 million.
3. 鈥淰iolent Night,鈥� $5 million.
4. 鈥淪trange World,鈥� $2.2 million.
5. 鈥淭he Menu,鈥� $1.7 million.
6. 鈥淒evotion,鈥� $825,000.
7. 鈥淭he Fabelmans,鈥� $750,000.
8. 鈥淏lack Adam,鈥� $500,000.
9. 鈥淚 Heard the Bells,鈥� $308,893.
10. 鈥淓mpire of Light,鈥� $235,000.
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
