A month ago, director James Cameron had said that Avatar: The Way of Water would have to make $2 billion to make its money back, and while it seemed like a huge gamble at the time, it seems to have paid off.
As per CNBC, Avatar: The Way of Water has officially grossed $598 million domestically and $1.426 billion in foreign markets—putting the movie over the $2 billion mark. Admittedly, Cameron had already said that the movie was profitable near the start of January, but passing $2 billion marks the number he had stated a month before the theatrical release.
With the movie allegedly costing more than $200 million to make, The Way of Water was said to have been one of the most expensive movies to have ever been made; so you can bet that the studio would want to make its money back. With the last film coming out in 2009, it was unclear that the movie would be able to generate Avengers-level enthusiasm from the audience; but I guess they can all breathe with a sigh of relief now.
We can’t exactly sum up why The Way of Water was such a success in theaters, but I guess that you can thank Cameron for his way of handling spectacle on the big screen. Avatar 2 was an absolutely beautiful film, and with the simple story about saving the environment, I guess it didn’t really step on anybody’s toes on a political level.
Here’s the synopsis:
Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.
Catch Avatar: The Way of Water now showing in theaters.
