- The Way of Water has generated $180 million so far in total revenue.
- Including $53 million from local sales and $127 million from international markets.
- There are 52 foreign countries where the movie is now showing.
Avatar: The Way of Water will probably not beat Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to record the best worldwide opening of the year after marginally underperforming at the domestic box office and underperforming in China due to a fresh COVID wave. The Way of Water has generated $180 million so far in total revenue, including $53 million from local sales and $127 million from international markets.
The long-awaited sequel to director James Cameron’s box office smash from 2009, which was predicted to gross between $450 million and $550 million following its opening weekend, has now been lowered down to $410 million. There are 52 foreign countries where the movie is now showing, with China being the most notable. When a new coronavirus epidemic forced the closure of a sizable number of theatres, The Way of Water’s plans for a rare (for a Hollywood film) Middle Kingdom release were crushed.
While Hollywood studios have spent most of the last ten years courting Chinese viewers, imports are becoming less common due to regulatory restrictions and a thriving local economy. Jurassic World Dominion, which earned just over $150 million in China, is the only big Hollywood movie to be released there this year. The original Avatar continues to draw large crowds in China and has amassed a $200 million domestic box office haul.
The Way of Water, which started previews earlier in the week, was projected to earn $100 million in its Chinese debut. The forecasts, however, have now been scaled back. The movie has already made $44 million there, though not all of it has been tallied up in the final total. The entire $17 million that The Way of Water has made in Korea has also not been spent. The Way of Water, which reportedly cost $400 million to produce, will need to earn about $2 billion worldwide in order to break even, according to Cameron.
In contrast, the first movie made $241 million worldwide in its first five days of release. The first Avatar’s domestic opening weekend revenue of $77 million caused many commentators to foresee doom. But during the next weeks, it was renowned for holding up incredibly well. With $760 million in American box office receipts and more than $2.9 billion worldwide, it continues to be the highest-grossing movie ever.
Avengers: Endgame ($1.2 billion) now holds the record for having the largest global opening. This year, the global debut of Doctor Strange 2 brought in $450 million, followed by Dominion with $392 million and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with $330 million. The Way of Water, starring returning stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, will be able to keep afloat for the upcoming few weeks thanks to favorable audience reaction and a complete lack of competition.
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