Avatar: The Way of Water seems to be unstoppable. The newest entry in James Cameron’s franchise stands strong for another weekend at the box office, not only maintaining its number-one status but also surpassing the $2 billion barrier around the world. A huge milestone for the film.
After becoming the 6th highest-grossing film of all time, leaving behind Spider-Man: No Way Home, and getting close to becoming the 4th on the list after this weekend, ready to surpass Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Disney announced this Sunday (via The Hollywood Reporter) that the long-awaited sequel will finish the weekend with a global total of $2.024 billion, the top gross of the pandemic era. It has earned $598 million domestically and $1.426 billion overseas, including $230 million from China.
The first installment of the story came out 13 years ago and remains number 1 on the highest-grossing all-time list, with Avengers: Endgame behind it and Titanic on the 3rd spot, something that could change next month with the movie returning to theaters for its 25th anniversary.
The highest-grossing film list is dominated by Disney, who owns 20th Century Studios, with only Jurassic World belonging to a different studio, Universal Pictures.
Most of the Avatar: The Way of Water’s Numbers Come From 3D Screenings
Just when everyone thought the 3D format was dead, James Cameron strikes again with his popular franchise and demonstrates that not everything is as we imagine. According to Comscore and RealD, via The Wrap, 61% of all tickets sold worldwide for Avatar 2 have been for 3D screenings, amounting to $1.16 billion in global revenue.
"Avatar: The Way of Water reminded the industry just how amazing 3D can look and that moviegoers still enjoy the format and will pay the premium for a high-quality 3D experience. Just like the original 'Avatar' did when it was released, this film has reignited interest in the format and RealD is continually speaking with studios and filmmakers about their upcoming titles and the new creative possibilities that can be unlocked and offered to consumers”, Sean Spencer from RealD.
Back in the day, the first Avatar inspired a lot of studios to use the 3D format, but since then, it seems that many people have lost interest in it. Now, thanks to the Na'vi once again, we get to experience a rebirth of 3D.