You just can’t beat James Cameron in the water. After 13 years between sequels and waiting for technology to catch up with his vision, the sequel to Cameron’s 2009 film, Avatar, shattered records in the short time that it has been released in theaters. CBR reports that just minutes ago, Avatar: The Way of Water has become one of the fastest billion-dollar-earning movies of all time.
During the Christmas season, audiences flocked to the theaters amid winter weather and the COVID stigma of present-day cinema. The film brought in $300 million domestically, while internationally, the movie made up the other end at $700 million, surpassing 2022’s biggest hits, including Black Panther‘s worldwide take at $800 million, The Batman‘s $770 million, and Doctor Strange‘s $955.7 million. Many movie insiders predicted the movie would reach ten figures over the holidays after it was released on December 16.
The only other films to cross this barrier in the year is the blockbuster Tom Cruise hit Top Gun: Maverick, which brought in a total of $1.48 billion worldwide, and Jurassic World: Dominion, which raked in just over a billion worldwide. Oddly enough, Top Gun: Maverick was not permitted to be shown in China, and The Way of Water underperformed there with $100 million when it was estimated to make over $300 million. However, IMAX and 3D screenings would help make up for any shortcomings as IMAX CEO Rick Gelfond enthusiastically boasted, “In just over a week of release, Avatar: The Way of Water has sailed to more than $100 million in Imax box office with no signs of slowing down.”
This will be action auteur James Cameron’s third film to gross over a billion at the global box office. After the first and, of course, Titanic. This puts him behind Steven Spielberg as the second-highest-grossing film director ever. Ironically, Spielberg would be humbly competing with Cameron at the box office this part of the year with his very personal, autobiographical drama, The Fabelmans. Avatar would crush the competition, such as Babylon, Puss in Boots, and The Whale.
The first film held its ground by staying number one at the box office for seven consecutive weeks. Will this new one have the strength? Like it or not, we will see.