The long-awaited “Avatar: The Way of Water” by James Cameron made its debut at the worldwide box office, bringing in $15.8 million on its first day from 15 foreign territories.
The ambitious sequel is supported by Disney, which reports that ticket sales were 124% higher than for “Avatar,” nearly 70% higher than for “Top Gun: Maverick,” and 13% higher than for “Jurassic World: Dominion.” Even though “The Way of Water” is predicted to become a blockbuster, its opening weekend box office performance could not break any records. Additionally, the studio reports that initial returns behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in similar regions by 12% and 23%, respectively.
The highest opening for “Avatar: The Way of Water” was in Korea ($3.3 million), followed by France ($2.9 million), Germany ($2.5 million), and Italy ($1.6 million).
“Avatar” generated strong preview figures (which are not included in the $15.8 million opening day total) before the movie’s release, including $1.5 million in Mexico, $1.3 million in Australia, $1 million in Brazil, and $4.4 million in Latin America.
Advanced sneaks on Wednesday from a very small number of 1,688 performances in China, a very significant market for “Avatar 2,” brought in $2.6 million (also not included in the opening day total). There is optimism that Chinese cinemas will bring in $100 million on the opening weekend. Box office projections, however, remain uncertain because of COVID outbreaks around the nation and theatre closures (only 77% of theatres are operating). “The Way of Water” is one of the few Hollywood films this year that has been permitted to be screened in China, where the $261 million original became a hit.
The overseas box office, where the original “Avatar” generated over $2 billion and made up about 70% of its overall revenue, is of outsized importance. Except for Russia, every significant market has its launch date set. With the potential for worldwide ticket sales to reach $400 million to $500 million by Sunday, “Avatar 2” is expected to bring in at least $250 million to $350 million abroad.
There is hope that the inaugural weekend would bring in $100 million for Chinese theatres. Box office forecasts are still dubious, though, due to COVID breakouts around the country and theatre closures (only 77% of theatres are now open). The $261 million original “The Way of Water,” which became a smash in China, is one of the few Hollywood movies this year that has been approved for screening there.
We’ll be tracking this Disney/20th Century Studios sequel through the weekend. Notably, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico will be added on Thursday, ahead of the UK, Spain, and Japan on Friday.