Avatar: The Way of Water Preview Night Numbers Revealed

After 13 years of waiting, Avatar: The Way of Water is finally in theaters, with Disney revealing that the highly anticipated sequel took in $17 million in Thursday night previews. This number falls in line with projections that the film would take in upwards of $150 million in its opening weekend, with its global total currently sitting around $86 million. Back in 2009, the original Avatar only scored a fraction of this number, with preview night totals being $3.5 million domestically, though this was at a time when the property was entirely new and also only had midnight showings available.

Last December, Spider-Man: No Way Home took in $50 million in preview numbers on its way to $253 million in its opening weekend domestically. These preview numbers put The Way of Water behind 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($28 million), The Batman ($21 million), Top Gun: Maverick ($19 million), and Jurassic Park Dominion ($18 million). It’s worth noting, however, that the original film went on to become the top-grossing movie of all time, so even with a relatively mundane opening weekend, it stayed at the top of the box office for weeks. In this regard, whatever The Way of Water might take in this weekend, the true test of its success will be how long it stays ahead of the competition.

Another factor in the sequel’s box-office success will be based on the power of 3D screenings. When the original film debuted, it was on the cusp of a 3D resurgence, with director James Cameron pushing the technological capabilities of the format to new levels, resulting in a wave of 3D releases in the following years. However, the novelty has largely dwindled in recent years, putting the number of 3D releases back to pre-Avatar levels. The difference being that the effectiveness of the format drew audiences back in 2009 as a cinematic event, whereas audiences are now more familiar with what can be accomplished in 3D.

Disney reports that 61% of preview night sales were for 3D screenings. 

Between having a built-in audience and having a run time over three hours, The Way of Water doesn’t bring with it the same sense of urgency as a Marvel film, but likely will see audiences patiently waiting to see it in ideal conditions as opposed to settling for whatever tickets are available at any given time in its crowded opening weekend.

Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters now.

How well do you think the film will perform financially? Let us know in the comments!