Avatar has $100 million opening weekend

Despite falling short of analyst predictions, director James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” took in $134 million at the US box office, giving him his first $100 million opening weekend.
The film’s second-highest world-wide opening this year fell short of expectations, but its long-term appeal may give it the same success as many of Cameron’s other movies. $435 million dollars has been earned by “Avatar: The Way of Water” at the global box office.
One answer is certain though Cameron has not yet revealed how much it cost to make the Avatar sequel: it was expensive. “In order to break even, the movie has to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history,” said Cameron to GQ Magazine.
It needs to make more than $2 billion. “Avatar” is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning nearly $3 billion. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is the only film during the pandemic era that has come close to $1.9 billion.
However, for Cameron, the marathon is more important than the sprint.
“This weekend is not going to determine the future of Pandora,” Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said. The film’s success will be determined over the next few weeks, and I think it will do well week after week.
Dergarabedian noted that the film might also be at the top of the list for viewers over the busy holiday period, which also won’t include any major blockbuster competition. The movie’s 190 minute running time reduces the number of daily showings for theaters.
The film could be a turning point for the movie theater industry too, which had been struggling before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The film’s success largely depends on whether audiences will pay for the immersive 3D experience. Though 3D has decreased in popularity over time, if enough people are willing to pay for the experience, the film will do well.
“Avatar” earned $77 million in its opening weekend in 2009 and collected 80% of its gross from 3D showings. For its sequel, 62% of the domestic box office haul came from premium formats such as IMAX and 3D, which revolutionized 3D viewing.
“The Way of Water” had the second highest all-time IMAX global opening weekend and the biggest IMAX December global opening ever.
Dergarabedian said that people are undecided about 3D. The appeal of “Avatar: The Way of Water” is as much due to its 3D effects as the movie itself.
Disney has invested a lot of money in the “Avatar” series. “The Way of Water” is one of four planned sequels, with the third installment set for release on December 20, 2024. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, who starred in the first film, returned as Jake and Neytiri. They live on Pandora with their family in the sequel.