GoldenJCJ

Particularly when there are a handful of movies that are still in the works that could be affected by the success (or failure) of this movie. Now, I don’t believe any of the future Avatar movies will be cancelled or anything based on part 2’s box office but it could effect the budget to the point that Cameron may not be able to provide the quality he wants. For that, I wish this movie does well.

I don’t have a financial stake in any movie so I could give two shits about which one gets the bragging rights of “highest grossing ever!”

I’ve made my share of jokes about Avatar but when I comes down to it, I’m a fan of Cameron and would like to see this succeed. It’s big budget for sure, but it’s also a director’s vision that doesn’t include a superhero so I’m all for it.

Josh-da-man

Watching movies succeed/fail is almost a sport these days.

And, with Cameron, I think there might be a certain amount of frustration with him because he's spent his massive success with Titanic and Avatar by farting around in a submarine instead of making more movies.

I'm more curious about how it performs; I really don't care how it does either way. I suspect that the box office will be as such that if you want to claim it was a massive success, you can do so. If you want to declare it a failure, you will be able to do that, too. It will make at least enough to look successful or break some records, but it probably won't hit that two billion dollar mark.

As a genre fan, it sort of fascinates me. It's really hard to get asses into seats for science fiction movies. Look at the declining interest in the Kelvinverse Star Trek films, or Solo eating shit at the box office -- both well known brands. And then stuff like Jupiter Ascending or Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets bombed hard -- granted, they were both terrible.

Avatar's success always sort of baffled me. One, it's science fiction. Two, there wasn't a lot of star power in it. Three, it was, essentially, an animated movie. Four, the protagonists weren't human, which breaks a rule that sci-fi movies need human leads like Luke Skywalker or Captain Kirk for the audience to connect with them. But it still went on to make a zillion dollars at the box office.

And, with the sequel, it's coming out over twelve years after the original, and the franchise has been dormant for the over a decade. No toys. No cartoons. No comic books. No lunch boxes or underoos. There's a ride at a theme park, but that's not visible like a big display of toys at every Target and Walmart in the country.

orangerunner

I recall the newspapers and shows like Entertainment Tonight announcing the weekend box office totals like they were the latest sports scores, probably around 1986, and it's only gotten worse. After that it was the best Friday, best preview on Thursday etc.

The financial numbers are rather arbitrary as there are so many variables such as the variance of box office prices in different cities, number of screens, number of showings per day/per screen, inflation, ratio of cost vs. revenue and so on.

tanman

Avatar 3 is guaranteed. They've already done a lot of work on it so that's definitely coming out. Especially since this one didn't totally bomb. But 4 and 5 are much more questionable. Seems like James Cameron is prepared for this possibility as well and is able to wrap up the story with Avatar 3 if need be.

Personally I want to see it succeed because it is so unique and I do want to see more of this world. Not just of Pandora but would be interesting to see what Earth in this universe is like. Would be neat to see a lot more world building with a more expanded scope culminating in a very large conflict.

BobO'Link

I didn't much care for the first one - but there's not a single film Cameron's done I really like. I'll eventually see it when it comes out on disc and the price falls to bargain basement levels (like I did with the first) - but I'm in no hurry.

Draven

I’m currently watching “Aliens” with my teenager (he’s only seen the first). It’s incredible how many things this movie dropped into our culture. Everything from space marines to pulse rifles to “game over, man!”. And then I look at “Avatar” which had zero impact on the culture. The “Aliens” version is the Cameron I miss.

L. Ron zyzzle

His earlier work had a perfect economy that his larger-budget stuff (and all that implies) lacks.

BobO'Link

Out of all the movies he's directed, Terminator would be my favorite and I consider it "just OK." I've never liked Aliens - from the first, very well done SF horror film came a mindless and cliche' action/adventure movie with a pasted on SF theme. And yet, I have to agree that, IMHO, Aliens is vastly superior to Avatar.

Why So Blu?

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Crosses $850 Million Globally in 10 Days

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...164901437.html

Dr. DVD

Went today to a 12:30 showing with the parents and it was a sold out showing. I think this will have legs.

RichC2

Yeah. It had a quiet Christmas Eve ($15m) but popped alive on Sunday ($29m) and Monday ($32m-ish).

It's currently just shy of $300m domestic.

Josh-da-man

It would have done much better without the bomb cyclone that hit most the US over the weekend.

Looking at the current numbers, I think it's more likely than not that this hits $2B globally.

Artman

Wow, over 83m yesterday...the weekdays are going to be much bigger this week than last. It should be coming out of the holidays (next Tues) with 1.3-4 billion.

DJariya

Top Gun Maverick took 31 days to hit 1 billion. This is way outpacing it. It will very likely surpass Maverick by January.

Troy Stiffler

That's cool. I still haven't watched it. So that's like $13 pending.

It's fun to think about how hard it was to get a Titanic ticket back when there were less screens and no reserved seating. It was kind of a hassle. Most theaters around me are now reserved, with fewer (but larger) seats and a ton of screens. Now you just reserve your big comfy recliner and tickets are $13 instead of $6. My theater also has a waiter, booze, and a little privacy wall.

Draven

My son and I will see this at the Alamo and we’ll take full advantage of their menu. It does irk me a bit to drop $50+ on a sequel to “Avatar” but I refuse to see a movie in a place that doesn’t ban talking and phone use and if I’m making the 30 minute drive to that theater, I’m gonna eat.

DJariya

Passed $1 billion now

Twitter

Wolf359

Why So Blu?

Seeing it again NYE with the crew. My local AMC doesn't have late showings that day. The last premium showings are past 6 and past 8 and that's it.

Troy Stiffler

Meh.

Decker

ViewAskewbian

Currently 60 in All Time worldwide
101 Domestic

It's got a bit of a climb

RichC2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deadline

Tuesday gave the Na’vi $50.8M from offshore markets and $23.8M domestically.

$317m domestic, ~ $1.029b worldwide.

bluetoast

Saw this at an IMAX with no reserved seating on its first Saturday out. It felt good, like old times being in a long line doubling back on itself multiple times. I endured about a 2 hour wait for the Flight of Passage ride the week before, so there was a lot of Avatar waiting in my December.

Dr. DVD

I only live about an hour away from the Disney parks and had to get to the Animal Kingdom right when it opened in order to NOT have a 2 hour wait for Flight of Passage. Anyone who thinks the popularity of Avatar has faded hasn't been to Pandora. Those rides are the most popular of all the parks,