Avatar: The Way of Water is the sequel to a little-known film from 2009 titled simply Avatar. Though Avatar became the highest-grossing film of all time, some claimed that its cultural impact was nil and that the sequel waited too long to come out. Even Edie Falco admitted to thinking Avatar 2 was a flop that came out years ago.
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According to Variety, Avatar: The Way of Water has now become the 7th highest-grossing film of all time, taking down Jurassic World for the position after reaching a total of $1.7 billion in its fourth weekend. The film now has its sights set on Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is the 8th highest-grossing film of all time with a haul of $1.9 billion. Disney likely won’t be too chuffed if Avatar 2 overtakes the Marvel Studios film because it also owns the rights to the Avatar film series.
Avatar: The Way of Water previously dethroned Top Gun: Maverick as 2022’s highest-grossing film. Cameron’s film stayed at the top of the box office for three weeks until finally moving down to second place thanks to Blumhouse’s M3GAN. Its monetary gains now mean Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are practically guaranteed.
Avatar: The Way of Water was projected to make less than its predecessor at the domestic box office, and so far, that is true. Avatar finished its domestic run with a take of a little over $700 million while Avatar: The Way of Water has currently made a little over $500 million at the domestic box office. Still, its theatrical run is ongoing, so it may end up with a slightly higher number.
Cameron already has plenty of ideas for future Avatar films. Cameron revealed Avatar 3 will explore a darker side of the Na’vi, while also showcasing a lighter side to the humans’ cause. He has equated the first two films to appetizers, emphasizing future films as the “main course.” If Cameron stays on this track, future sequels could be huge.
Avatar: The Way of Water is now playing in theaters.
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Source: Variety
