Avatar: The Way of Water Repeats Original Avatar Record With Seventh Straight Box Office Weekend Win

By Jamie Lovett - January 29, 2023 12:48 pm EST

Avatar: The Way of Water will top the box office for the seventh consecutive weekend, becoming the first film to pull off such a feat since the original Avatar did so in 2009. The second Avatar movie will bring in another $15.7 million over the weekend, raising its domestic box office total to $620.58 million. Avatar: The Way of Water has received a mostly positive reaction from critics, though its Rotten Tomatoes score dipped following its debut. The consensus on the review aggregator reads, "Narratively, it might be fairly standard stuff -- but visually speaking, Avatar: The Way of Water is a stunningly immersive experience." ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley had high praise for the film, awarding it a 5-out-of-5 review:

"Film is an ever-evolving medium that, for better or worse, demands a "what have you done for me lately" hunger from its audience. In the 13 years between Avatar films, fans have been treated to a rebirth of Star Wars, the meteoric rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and an overall box office boom that has made billion-dollar pictures a regular occurrence. With an abundance of theatrical treats over the past decade, the magic of Avatar (2009) has been somewhat overlooked. If there was any doubt, James Cameron reminds audiences exactly what he's capable of. Words don't do Avatar: The Way of Water justice. While this film has all the makings of a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience, audiences should relish in the fact that there is much more to come."

Avatar: The Way of Water is now playing in theatres. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.

1. Avatar: The Way of Water

(Photo: Disney)

Week Seven
Weekend: $15.7 million
Total: $620.5 million

Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

James Cameron directed Avatar: The Way of Water from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The film's cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald,

2. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Week Six
Weekend: $10.6 million
Total: $140.8 million

Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burnt through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.

Joel Crawford directed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with Januel Mercado co-directing, from a screenplay by Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow. Its voice cast includes Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez.

3. A Man Called Otto

Week Four
Weekend: $6.75 million
Total: $46 million

When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down.

Marc Forster directed A Man Called Otto from a screenplay written by David Magee. It is based on the 2012 novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and remakes the 2015 Swedish film adaptation. The film stars Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

4. M3GAN

Week Four
Weekend: $6.37 million
Total: $82.2 million

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a lifelike doll that's programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. Designed by Gemma, a brilliant roboticist, M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as it plays the role of friend and teacher, playmate and protector. When Gemma becomes the unexpected caretaker of her 8-year-old niece, she decides to give the girl an M3GAN prototype, a decision that leads to unimaginable consequences.

Gerard Johnstone directed M3GAN from a screenplay by Akela Cooper. The film stars Allison Williams, Jenna Davis, and Violet McGraw.

5. Pathaan

Opening Weekend
Total: $5.95 million

Make. Some. Noise! PATHAAN is here! The high-octane spy thriller 'PATHAAN' starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, directed by Siddharth Anand is set to release on January 25, 2023. The action spectacle will be released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.Celebrate Pathaan with YRF50 only at a big screen near you.

Siddharth Anand wrote and directed Pathaan, it stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia,and Ashutosh Rana

6. Missing

(Photo:
Storm Reid in Screen Gems MISSING
- Sony Pictures)

Week Two
Weekend: $5.68 million
Total: $17.5 million

When her mother disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June's search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it's too late. However, as she digs ever deeper, her digital sleuthing soon raises more questions than answers.

Nick Johnson and Will Merrick wrote and directed Missing, a standalone sequel to 2018's Searching, based on a story by Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty. The movie stars Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Daniel Henney, and Nia Long.

7. Plane

Week Three
Weekend: $3.8 million
Total: $25.3 million

Pilot Brodie Torrance saves passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island -- only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When dangerous rebels take most of the passengers hostage, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare, an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI.

Jean-François Richet directed Plane from a screenplay written by Charles Cumming and J. P. Davis. The movie stars Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, and Tony Goldwyn.

8. Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist

Opening Weekend
Weekend: $2.97 million

After millions of people vanish and the world falls into chaos, a charismatic leader rises to lead the UN. However, his intentions are more sinister than they appear.

Kevin Sorbo directed Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist, from a screenplay written by Paul Lalonde, Jessica Parker, and John Patus. It is a sequel to 2014's Left Behind, adapting the novel Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist, the third installment of the Left Behind series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Sorbo also stars in the film, along with Neal McDonough, Corbin Bernsen, Greg Perrow, Sarah Fisher, and Charles Payne.

9. Infinity Pool

Opening Weekend
Total: $2.72 million

Guided by a seductive and mysterious woman, a couple on vacation venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism and untold horror. A tragic accident soon leaves them facing a zero tolerance policy for crime: either you'll be executed, or, if you're rich enough to afford it, you can watch yourself die instead.

Brandon Cronenberg wrote and directed Infinity Pool. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, and Cleopatra Coleman.

10. The Wandering Earth 2

Opening Weekend
Total: $1.36 million

Mankind builds enormous engines to propel the planet to a new solar system as the sun is rapidly burning out.

Frant Gwo wrote and directed The Wandering Earth 2, based on the novel by Liu Cixin. The film stars Andy Lau, Wu Jing, and Li Xuejian