The Way Of Water Tops Box Office Charts, But Slightly Underperforms Expectations

Topline

Avatar: The Way of Water brought in an estimated $134 million in its opening weekend, topping the box office charts but performing slightly below expectations for the film–one of the most expensive in modern movie history that creator James Cameron said needed to gross $2 billion in order to be considered a success.

Key Facts

Internationally, the film brought in $301 million in ticket sales since it began airing on Thursday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Avatar sequel was initially projected to make up to $170 million, but Deadline lowered its expectations to between $130 million and $150 million after its opening on Friday.

The Disney film tied “The Batman” in its March debut for the fourth biggest opening this year; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” leads this year’s box office opening charts at $187.4 million, U.S. News and World Report reported.

Key Background

The film, starring Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang, brought in nearly double the $26.7 million earned by the first Avatar movie on its opening day. The 2009 film netted nearly $3 billion in total ticket sales, making it the highest-grossing film of all time.

Further Reading

‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Rakes In $53 Million Opening Day—Which May Not Be Enough (Forbes)