James Cameron has been voicing his concerns about how Avatar: The Way of Water would have to match its predecessor’s record-breaking gross in order to break even at the box office, and how he might have to cap the franchise as a trilogy should it underperform, but the usually bullish director might be heartened to hear that industry experts have his return to Pandora on track to debut with a domestic gross of $150 million to $175 million when it opens on December 16th.
According to Variety the epic sequel is set to open to at least $150 million, with early tracking indicating that it could soar as high as $175 million or more.
Avatar: The Way of Water‘s financial department will also have been pleased with the news that Cameron’s sequel has also been granted a potentially lucrative simultaneous release in China. Major studios have had difficultly securing a release in China, let alone a day-and-date window with the rest of the world, so with the original Avatar having earned $261 million from the Chinese market, which was the second-highest grossing region for the film, those keeping checks on the unobtainium piles will be very happy with this development.
In 2009 Avatar opened to $77 million at the U.S. box office, before word-of-mouth and a genuinely unique theatrical experience carried it towards $785 million at the domestic box office, and a global haul of $2,922,917,914 (including re-releases), which remains uncontested to this day.
Let us know whether you’ll be adding to these totals and if so how many times you plan to visit Pandora, by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Avatar: The Way of Water is directed by James Cameron and sees Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Matt Gerald, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, and Sigourney Weaver all reprising their roles from the 2009 blockbuster, while new additions to the cast include Kate Winslet, Oona Chaplin, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Filip Geljo, Jamie Flatters, Bailey Bass, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion, Duane Evans Jr., Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Keston John, and CJ Jones.
Journey back to Pandora when Avatar: The Way of Water is released in cinemas on December 16th, 2022.
