'Avatar 2' falls short of box office predictions with $134 million domestic debut - Fox Business

"Avatar: The Way of Water" has dived beneath container bureau expectations aft the film’s opening weekend. 

The "Avatar" sequel earned $134 cardinal from North American theaters and $300.5 cardinal internationally for a $434.5 cardinal planetary debut, according to workplace estimates connected Sunday.

Going into the play galore were expecting a home debut of astatine slightest $150 million. Some adjacent said $175 oregon higher, but tracking has besides not been arsenic reliable a metric during the pandemic.

The sequel to "Avatar" tied with "The Batman" arsenic the fourth-highest home debut this year. 

"Avatar 2" felt abbreviated of expectations for its home debut. (20th Century Studios via AP / AP Newsroom)

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Coming successful 3rd was "Thor: Love and Thunder," which made $144.2 cardinal successful July. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" made $181 cardinal successful November and the highest home debut successful 2022 was "Doctor Strange successful the Multiverse of Madness," which made $187.4 cardinal successful May.

Disney saw aboriginal that "The Way of Water" was going to beryllium a antithetic benignant of beast erstwhile they looked astatine pre-sales. 

For a normal, spoiler-heavy movie similar galore Marvel offerings, post-opening play income are usually astir 5%. For "The Way of Water," they were astatine 20%. In different words, the institution knew that tracking was overinflated.

"Avatar: The Way of Water" made $134 domestically during opening weekend. (20th Century Studios via AP / AP Newsroom)

"We’ve got a terrific movie that is playing crossed each demographics and (has) terrific connection of mouth," said Tony Chambers, the Walt Disney Co.’s enforcement vice president for theatrical distribution. "We’ve got the screens and we’ve got a wide run. This isn’t astir the opening time oregon the opening weekend. This is astir the full run."

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"Avatar: The Way of Water" was released successful 4,202 theaters connected implicit 12,000 screens, 400 of which were IMAX 3D. The workplace and filmmakers stake large connected the draw, and higher prices, of the 3D format and premium ample screens.

An estimated 66% of the $435 cardinal opening play gross came from worldwide 3D summons sales.

"Avatar: The Way of Water" released connected Friday. (20th Century Studios via AP / AP Images)

The James Cameron-directed movie came 13 years aft the archetypal movie, and the 2nd movie is not the extremity of the franchise. 

Cameron has plans to merchandise a 3rd movie successful 2024 and a 4th successful 2026. Scripts person already been written for the upcoming movies, and the director told Collider that the publication for "Avatar 4" was the lone 1 that did not person a azygous enactment from workplace executives. 

James Cameron revealed determination volition beryllium 2 much "Avatar" movies. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney / Getty Images)

Besides the "Avatar" movies, Cameron has directed a fig of different films specified arsenic "The Terminator," "Aliens" and "Titanic." He has won 3 Oscars betwixt "Titanic" and the archetypal "Avatar" movie. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.