James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water has now grossed $1.38 billion globally at the box office during New Year’s weekend. As of December 28th, Avatar 2 hit $1.1 billion. The 20th Century Studios and Disney film only took 15 days to hit that mark when it brought in $762.8 million internationally and will eventually pass Top Gun: Maverick’s $770 million international box office take which will make the Avatar sequel number 1 international release of 2022.
Avatar: The Way of Water is showing no signs of slowing down. During New Year’s weekend, the film is projected to bring in $63.4 million domestically and is expected to make $82.4 million over the 3-day holiday. (Some folks still have time off on Monday, January 2nd).
James Cameron has been working on his sci-fi epic for several years as he explored ways to expand his story of an alien race struggling against hostile colonizers. Cameron also created a new technology that would allow his actors to do performance capture underwater. Several years making Avatar: The Way of Water a visual spectacle was worth the wait and could be the most immersive movie experience to date. Watch it in 3-D if you can.
It didn’t take come cheap. Cameron said that in order for Avatar: The Way of Water to make a profit for Disney, which bought the rights to Avatar when it purchased 21st Century Fox in 2019, the sequel would have to be one of the highest-grossing films in movie history.
Currently, Avatar: The Way of Water has made $421.6 million at the domestic box office and $956.9 million internationally. The film now stands at $1.38 billion global gross. It stands as the fifteenth highest global release of all-time behind Black Panther and in front of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Directed by James Cameron. Avatar 2 stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet. Avatar: The Way of Water is currently playing in theaters only.
