Avatar: The Way of Water will lead the New Year’s holiday box office with $63.4 million over three days and $82.4 million over the long weekend. That’s a little lower than initial estimates, but still enough for the film to climb to $400 million, with $450 million within its grasp by the end of the day on Monday. Avatar: The Way of Water has gotten a mostly positive reception from critics, even though its . The consensus on the review aggregator website 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.”
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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
- Week Three
- Weekend: $82.4 million
- Total: $440.5 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 Two
- Weekend: $21.7 million
- Total: $66.1 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. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Week Eight
- Weekend: $6.5 million
- Total: $439.6 million
Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.
Ryan Coogler directed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever from a screenplay he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole. The movie stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett.
4. I Wanna Dance With Somebody
- Week Two
- Weekend: $5.4 million
- Total: $16 million
Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston rises from obscurity to international fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.
Kasi Lemmons directed I Wanna Dance With Somebody from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, based on the life of Whitney Houston. It stars Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters.
5. Babylon
- Week Two
- Weekend: $3.6 million
- Total: $11 million
Decadence, depravity, and outrageous excess lead to the rise and fall of several ambitious dreamers in 1920s Hollywood.
Damien Chazelle wrote and directed Babylon. The film stars Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li.
6. Violent Night
- Week Five
- Weekend: $2.67 million
- Total: $48 million
An elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage inside. However, they aren’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.
Tommy Wirkola directed Violent Night, from a screenplay written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. The film stars David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, Leah Brady, and Beverly D’Angelo.
7. The Whale
- Week Four
- Weekend: $1.75 million
- Total: $6.2 million
An obese and reclusive English teacher tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.
Darren Aronofsky directed The Whale from a screenplay by Samuel D. Hunter, based on his 2012 play of the same name. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton.
8. The Fabelmans
- Week Eight
- Weekend: $1.5 million
- Total: $12.5 million
Young Sammy Fabelman falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Armed with a camera, Sammy starts to make his own films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mother.
Steven Spielberg directed The Fabelmans from a screenplay he wrote with Tony Kushner. The film’s cast includes Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch.
9. The Menu
- Week Seven
- Weekend: $1.07 million
- Total: $36.4 million
Margot is invited by foodie Tyler to travel with him and a group of other food lovers to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where Chef Slowik has prepared a lavish menu. From the beginning, Margot finds everything strange, from the woman who greets them at the boat, to the tiny portions and the odd offerings. Chef Slowik is also as strange as they come. But she soon discovers far more shocking surprises are yet to come, including a massive secret that Tyler’s been keeping from her.
Mark Mylod directed The Menu from a screenplay written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Reed Birney, Judith Light, and John Leguizamo.
10. Strange World
- Week Six
- Weekend: $747,000
- Total: $37.2 million
The Clades are a legendary family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest and most crucial mission into uncharted and treacherous territory.
Don Hall directed Strange World from a script by co-director Qui Nguyen. The film’s voice cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, and Lucy Liu.
