Avatar: The Way of Water Box Office Crosses $550 Million Worldwide

Avatar: The Way of Water has now made over $550 million at the worldwide box office, six days after Thursday night previews started showing in theaters. Avatar 2 started off the week big, including scoring $18.3M on Tuesday domestically, and $40.5M internationally. That brings The Way of Water to a domestic total of $168.6M and a worldwide total of $555.9M. And yet, even with these kinds of numbers, the debate is still raging about whether or not James Cameron is achieving big success – or missing the mark – with Avatar 2. 

It's been no secret that the massive cost ($350 million) of producing, shooting, marketing, and completing visual effects on Avatar: The Way of Water has created a massive uphill climb toward profitability. Avatar still stands as the highest-grossing film of all time with $2.92 billion; Avatar 2 is now facing a bar of about $2 billion in order to be considered a success. 

The Christmas-to-New Year's stretch will be a key window for Avatar: The Way of Water to possibly get a surge in ticket sales. Analysts are predicting that Avatar 2 will see a decline of anywhere from 40% to 50% from opening weekend total ($134M), for an estimated  $67 million to $80 million take over the Christmas Weekend. This week leading into Christmas is also being seen as a lucrative lead-in to the Christmas weekend, as schools are out, families are gathering, and some people will lean on the thinner crowds during the week, rather than hitting the massive crowds that will be turing out over the weekend. 

Avatar 2 will also have the advantage of having little-to-no direct competition at the box office. Oscar-bait movie Babylon (La La Land director Damien Chazelle's new film with Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt) will attract a distinctively different crowd than those hoping to see the visual spectacle of Avatar 2; Puss In Boots: The Last Wish will mainly draw younger kids; while Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody will draw older adults. None of those demographics are really ones that will siphon from the audience interested in Avatar 2, which would be teen-to-young adults (males espeically), families, and adults coming in through word-of-mouth and/or curiousity about the visual spectacle of the film. 

Avatar: The Way of Water is now in theaters. We recommend the biggest IMAX screen you can see it on. 

Source: Variety