James Cameron's biggest sequel of his career, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), has proven to be quite literally unstoppable, continuing to break box office records of every kind conceivable worldwide. According to a new report from Variety, the sequel has officially become the highest-grossing film of all time in India, breaking the record previously set by Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The film continues its blockbuster run through theaters across India and, per statistics provided to Variety by Disney, to date, has earned INR4.6 billion (or $56.6 million), steamrolling Russo Brothers' Endgame profits which were INR4.3 billion ($53.6 million). Ironically, mostly Disney films compile the top ten biggest, most successful Hollywood movies in India as far as revenue. In third place after Endgame is Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Spiderman: No Way Home (2021) in fourth, Jon Favreau's adaptation of The Jungle Book (2016) in fifth, the recent live-action remake of The Lion King (2019) in sixth place, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) in eighth place, and the first Avatar (2009) film in ninth. Before the pandemic hit, such films accounted for a record 15% of box office revenue in India in 2019. However, later in 2021, as the pandemic waned, the percentage fell back to the average of 11%, per a report from EY Indian.
In an official statement from Bikram Duggal, who is the head of Disney Star studios in India:
“The phenomenal response in India to James Cameron’s unparalleled creative vision is testimony to how cultural, geographical and language barriers blur when it comes to pathbreaking storytelling and an immersive cinematic experience. Audiences have eagerly waited for the sequel and they have been emotionally invested in the story. The first ‘Avatar’ did exceptionally well in India and we definitely expected ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ to set newer box office benchmarks, but witnessing the extraordinary response of audiences across the country has been remarkable,”
James Cameron Has All But Perfected the Art of the Sequel
If the monumentally successful performance by Avatar: The Way of Water is any indication of director James Cameron's luck with sequels, it all but cements that he has figured more than anyone else out the hidden formula to making movie sequels not only work but thrive and do even better than their predecessors. While other directors falter to live up to their original content or shy away from doing sequels, Cameron has fearlessly shown that such a stigma shouldn't exist to begin with. He proved it first with Aliens (1986), the direct sequel to the original sci-fi horror film Alien (1979) that saw Sigourney Weaver back in her landmark role as alien exterminator Ellen Ripley. The follow-up flick received mass acclaim from both fans and critics.
A few years later, Cameron proved it once again with Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), still one of the most beloved sci-fi action movies of all time that has aged ever gracefully thanks to its superb writing and groundbreaking stunts and special effects. Now the Avatar sequel has continued the success for Cameron, with no hint of it being a fluke. If he decides to start another new original movie series, there's little doubt that whatever it winds up as, and no matter the sequel, it will continue to set the standard that not nearly enough directors have reached.