Avatar: The Way of Water is the long-awaited sequel to James Cameron’s Avatar, which was released in 2009 and went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time. Avatar was recently re-released in theaters and did phenomenally globally, proving the franchise still has what it takes to bring in viewers. Cameron waited on making the sequel, however, in order to ensure that the technology needed to bring Pandora’s oceans to life was properly developed.

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According to Deadline, Avatar: The Way of Water is currently running at 3 hours and 10 minutes. Though the final runtime may end up being shorter, Cameron has publicly stated that the film will be a long one. Of course, there’s always the possibility that Disney might cut out some scenes and insist on a shorter runtime and then rerelease the film with the cut scenes re-inserted. Though Avatar: The Way of Water is projected to earn less than its predecessor at the box office, it is still predicted to earn $650 million at the box office. While this number is still pretty impressive, Avatar earned $772 million at the domestic box office.

The drop in performance is to be expected since Avatar was a first in many ways and a theatrical experience. Its story was not considered the most memorable, however, to the point that many have stated that the Avatar sequels need to have more compelling stories if the franchise is to continue. Dethroning the biggest box office film of all time would always be a tall task, and since the original Avatar wasn’t originally beloved, it became less likely that the same amount of people would be drawn in for a sequel.

New Avatar: The Way of Water footage has promised a spectacular visual feast. Clearly, waiting for the right technology to develop has paid off. Pandora is being brought to life in an unprecedented fashion and Cameron, a visionary in many ways, has already succeeded in crafting a visual spectacle. What remains to be seen, however, is if the film’s story will be up to snuff.

Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters on December 16, 2022.

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Source: Deadline