The film “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the second part of the highest-grossing film of all time, opened with more than $80 million in advance ticket sales worldwide.
According to the specialized media Variety, it grossed US$17 million in its preview in the United States, US$50.4 million in the 44 international markets where it is currently projected and US$18.5 million in China alone.
The film by Canadian director James Cameron is expected to earn between US$150 and 175 million in its first weekend in the United States in the 4,202 theaters in which it will be available.
If so, it would be one of the biggest American debuts of 2022, a year that also saw the release of top-grossing films like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which grossed $185 million in its opening week, or ” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” with $181 million.
The first “Avatar” movie, in 2009, grossed $77 million in its opening week and stayed at number one for almost seven straight weeks.
Its box office reached about US$ 3,000 million worldwide, a figure not yet surpassed by new productions.
The second part is set more than a decade after the events of the first and recovers characters and settings from the original.
The Sullys, Jake and Neytiri return to star in the film, but this time as an adult couple, with five teenage children and the same goal of saving their planet, Pandora.
“Avatar” will continue with three more sequels that have already been shot by Cameron and that mark his return to the industry as a director after several projects as a screenwriter.
The film already has two Golden Globe nominations, one for Cameron for best direction and another for best dramatic film. EFE
