Avatar: The Way of Water Trailer Scores 148M Views in First 24 Hours

The long-awaited teaser trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water was a successful one for James Cameron and 20th Century Studios, garnering over 148 million views in its first 24 hours. Audiences that headed to theaters to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and those in attendance at CinemaCon got to see the Avatar sequel’s trailer first, but it’s now available for everyone to watch online. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Avatar: The Way of Water trailer totaled 148.6 million views in the opening 24 hours, with 23 million coming from China.

The over 148 million views for the Avatar: The Way of Water trailer were more than Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which also debuted exclusively in theaters. Of course, those Avatar 2 numbers don’t factor in those in attendance to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which scored a domestic opening weekend box office of $187 million, adjusted up slightly from the projected $185 million originally announced. A comparison of other blockbuster trailer views includes the leader, F9 and its 202.7 million views in 24 hours, followed by Avatar 2, then Black Widow (116.8 million), Incredibles 2 (113.1 million), and The Rise of Skywalker (112.4 million).

Director James Cameron and actors Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana have commented on the Avatar sequel. 

“Hi, everybody. I’m beaming in from Wellington, New Zealand, where we’re hard at work putting the final touches on Avatar two,” Cameron said during his CinemaCon presentation. “I want to start out by saying I know it’s been rough on the exhibition community these last two years. I’ve been making movies for 40 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this, not even close to threatening the business that I’ve dedicated my life to. I just want you to hear it from me that John and I are here to work with you. You’re our partners and the best way we can do that is by delivering content that is a must-see experience at the cinema. With the first Avatar we set out to push the limits of the big screen with the new avatar films. We’re pushing those limits even further, with 3d with high dynamic range, with high frame rate, higher resolution, and a much greater reality in our visual effects”

“It’s great to be a part of such an amazing family and have that longevity,” Worthington told Variety. “Jim is a very loyal man and he keeps the same people on board, but I’m a very small cog in this. There’s a big creative team behind it, and from what I’ve seen, it’s mind-blowing and marvelous what they’re coming up with.”

“It’s exciting; nerve-wracking,” Saldana told EW when asked about the film’s release. “Humbling as well, you know – the wait is finally over. And we get to share something that we love so much with so many people that we know love it, too.”

Avatar: The Way of Water arrives in theaters on December 16th.