Avatar 2: The Way of Water reaches $1 billion globally, at the box office

Avatar 2: reaches $1 billion globally, at the box office

In just 14 days, "Avatar 2 The Way of Water" has surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, making it the fastest film this year to reach the coveted box office milestone.

Only three movies that were released in 2022 were able to break the $1 billion barrier, with "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Jurassic World Dominion" topping the list (the latter of which did it in just 31 days) (which took more than four months to join the club). In contrast, nine films that were released in 2019 earned more than $1 billion globally. Since "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which took 12 days to reach the goal, in 2021, "The Way of Water" has done so more quickly. In the first two weeks of release, only six films in history have made $1 billion.

James Cameron's long-awaited "Avatar" sequel debuted in mid-December with $134 million in North America and $435 million worldwide, and it has continued to be a tremendous draw ever since. Currently, the Disney and 20th Century picture has made $1.025 billion worldwide after grossing $317.1 million in North America and $712.7 million abroad. It is now the second-highest earning film of the year and the third-highest during the epidemic era, surpassing "Jurassic World Dominion."

In order to justify its astronomical price tag, "Avatar 2" needs to continue to do well into the new year. Although many believe the threshold to profitability is likely closer to $1.5 billion, Cameron predicted that the $350 million budgeted film (not including at least $100 million in marketing expenditures) needs to produce approximately $2 billion to break even. The first of three anticipated sequels to James Cameron's fantastical series, "The Way of Water" has a lot on the line in addition to its hefty price tag.

With $2.97 billion in worldwide sales, the 2009 release of the first "Avatar" still holds the record for the highest-grossing movie ever. The sequel, which was shown on the big screen 13 years later, may struggle to reach those heights since the pandemic's effects on the worldwide box office haven't totally subsided. Russia, another sizable country, won't be able to see the movie, and China, a significant cinema market, is seeing a recurrence of the virus.

Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaa, and Sigourney Weaver, who starred in the first "Avatar" film, are back for the sequel, which follows the Sully family as they travel underwater to fend off the elements and protect the Na'vi from mankind. Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, and Jemaine Clement are additional cast members.