โ€˜Avatar: The Way Of Waterโ€™ On Track To Make $765 Million In First Weekend Alone
โ€” Updated on 21 December 2022

โ€˜Avatar: The Way Of Waterโ€™ On Track To Make $765 Million In First Weekend Alone

โ€” Updated on 21 December 2022
Garry Lu
WORDS BY
Garry Lu

It may be โ€œthe worst business case in movie historyโ€ by director James Cameronโ€™s own admission, but Avatar: The Way of Water will still be another major money maker for 20th Century Studios, with current global box office projections indicating the long-awaited sequel is cruising towards a monstrous US$525 million (AU$765 million) opening weekend.

According to Deadline, the sci-fi epic starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana is tracking to launch anywhere between US$150 million and US$175 million (AU$218.8 million and AU$255.3 million) within the US/Canada domestic market alone โ€“ more than double the first filmโ€™s US$77 million (AU$112.3 million) debut โ€“ with a casual US$350 million (AU$510 million) from the rest of the world.

RELATED: โ€˜Avatar โ€“ The Way Of Waterโ€™ Was Actually Worth The 13-Year Wait

โ€œThe offshore tickets sales are composed of US$250 million (AU$364.7 million) plus another US$100 million (AU$145.9 million) from China, always the variable market,โ€ explains Anthony Dโ€™Alessandro & Nancy Tartaglione of the prolific entertainment publication.

โ€œAvatar: The Way of Water begins its international rollout Wednesday (today) in such majors as France, Korea, Germany, and Italy, with some markets playing from midnight. China also is getting 3,000 preview showings ahead of its Friday bow.โ€

โ€œThrough Friday, the entire overseas landscape will be covered, including 52 material markets (the sequel, for ongoing geopolitical reasons, will not released in Russia).โ€ 

Avatar: The Way Of Water Eyes $525 Million Box Office Debut

Competition, Comparisons, & Coming For The Crown

At the time of this writing, US/Canada domestic presales for Avatar: The Way of Water come to an estimated US$38 million, which is double that of Top Gun: Maverick โ€“ the current highest-grossing film of 2022 โ€“ as well as Jurassic World: Dominion; but behind Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which opened to $181.3 million and $187.4 million, respectively.

Still, considering weโ€™re approaching the holiday season and the โ€œsignificantโ€ lack of competition on the horizon โ€“ the perks of being in the Disney family/everyone else knowing to steer clear of old Jimmy C โ€“ box office receipts will more than likely take off at an exponential rate as cultural momentum builds and word of mouth spreads.

Avatar: The Way Of Water Eyes $525 Million Box Office Debut

As for the honour of historyโ€™s highest-grossing film, as Hollywoodโ€™s most dominant power player, James Cameron is essentially fighting himself on this one.

The throne is currently being operated by the first Avatar generated approximately US$2.92 billion (2009 figure not adjusted for inflation) with Avengers: Endgame nipping at its heels, sitting on an equally-impressive US$2.79 billion (2019 figure not adjusted for inflation), followed by yet another Cameron flick, Titanic, at US$2.19 billion (1997 figure not adjusted for inflation).

Like we said: never bet against James Cameron.

RELATED: James Cameron In Discussion To Reboot โ€˜Terminatorโ€™ Franchise

A Multi-Billion-Dollar Sigh Of Relief?

Itโ€™s a good thing the sequel will (ostensibly) draw in audiences by the droves. Because based on what James Cameron mentioned just last month, Avatar: The Way of Water, itโ€™ll have to rake in a whole lot of cash just to escape box office flop territory.

โ€œVery fucking expensive,โ€ was the only answer Cameron was willing to offer when prompted about the true figure of the total production budget by GQ Magazine.

โ€œYou have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. Thatโ€™s your threshold. Thatโ€™s your break-even.โ€

โ€œI like difficult. Iโ€™m attracted by difficult. Difficult is a fucking magnet for me. I go straight to difficult.โ€

Avatar: The Way Of Water Eyes $525 Million Box Office Debut

โ€œAnd I think it probably goes back to this idea that there are lots of smart, really gifted, really talented filmmakers out there that just canโ€™t do the difficult stuff. So that gives me a tactical edge to do something nobody else has ever seen, because the really gifted people donโ€™t fucking want to do it.โ€

โ€œAny movie you just hope to get seenโ€ฆ Iโ€™ve done lots of movies that havenโ€™t even come out, that people donโ€™t notice. So with this one, itโ€™s a very hard thing. Youโ€™re handing it over to an audience hoping they embrace it, hoping they see it as exciting as when you were making it,โ€ Sam Worthington told BH exclusively.

โ€œIโ€™ve never been this excited actually. My excitement is as excited as it can be. Iโ€™m peaking right now,โ€ said Cliff Curtis, who portrays Metkayina Clan Chief Tonowari, during the same interview.

RELATED: โ€˜Avatar 2โ€™ Is Already Being Called A โ€œMasterpieceโ€, โ€œVisual Feastโ€, & โ€œBetter Than The Originalโ€

โ€œItโ€™s been great working with Sam and seeing him evolve this character, you know, from this reluctant hero in the first one to now. Heโ€™s all about his family. Initially, he hasnโ€™t really got much that he holds dear, nothingโ€™s really precious to him, and now heโ€™s a guy whoโ€™ll do anything for his family. I think thatโ€™s great storytelling. And I think for masculinity, itโ€™s a good anchor. Itโ€™s a good place for us to start.โ€

Worthington added: โ€œ[Director James Cameron] was about right comparing it to The Godfather series, he would say that to us because itโ€™s about family. Thatโ€™s what itโ€™s aboutโ€ฆ The Sullys go on this journey where their lives are threatened by an outside force, and theyโ€™re forced to connect to other clans, to hold on to each other no matter how intense the stakes get.โ€

James Cameronโ€™s Avatar: The Way Of Water is now showing in cinemas โ€” do yourself the favour.

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Garry Lu
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After stretching his legs with companies such as The Motley Fool and the odd marketing agency, Garry joined Boss Hunting in 2019 as a fully-fledged Content Specialist. In 2021, he was promoted to News Editor. Garry proudly retains a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, black bruises from Muay Thai, as well as a black belt in all things pop culture. Drop him a line at garry@luxity.com.au

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