'Avatar: The Way of Water' hits $53 million at box office on OPENING DAY!

'Avatar: The Way of Water' took flight at the box office with a solid 53 million dollars gross from 4,202 locations in its opening day
UPDATED DEC 18, 2022
Official still from 'Avatar' (20th Century Studios)
Official still from 'Avatar' (20th Century Studios)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: It was no secret 'Avatar: The Way of Water' would open to a massive hit. James Cameron's epic science fiction film is from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, with a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. The Kate Winslet starrer, distributed by 20th Century Studios, is the sequel to 'Avatar' (2009) and the second film in the 'Avatar' franchise.

There’s good news and bad news that can be taken from the $53 million opening day gross of 'Avatar: The Way of Water'. The bad news is it's unlikely James Cameron’s blockbuster sequel will meet projections of a $150 million plus opening weekend, instead settling for a now-estimated $130-$135 million launch. The film is made on an estimated budget of 350 to 400 million dollars, which makes it one of the most expensive productions of all time.

RELATED ARTICLES

'Avatar: The Way of Water' Review: James Cameron's BIG BLUE saga continues with another cinematic masterpiece

What is Post-Avatar Depression Syndrome? Here's why James Cameron masterpiece leaves fans dispirited

According to Variety, "Disney and 20th Century Studios’ 'The Way of Water' took flight at the box office with a solid 53 million dollars gross from 4,202 locations in its opening day, a figure that includes 17 million dollars in Thursday previews. That ranks as the sixth highest first-day domestic gross of the year, lower than those earned by 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' (90.7 million dollars), 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (84.2 million dollars), 'Thor: Love and Thunder' (69.5 million dollars), 'Jurassic World Dominion' (59.5 million dollars) and 'The Batman' (56.6 million dollars)."

The film received positive reviews from critics, who lauded its visual effects and technical achievement but panned its thin narrative and lengthy runtime. The film's cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald reprising their roles from the original film, with Sigourney Weaver returning in a different role.

You can watch 'Avatar: The Way of Water' in theaters near you. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Jason Momoa teams up with Justin Lin for a live-action adaptation of a hit sci-fi game, expanding his run of action-driven franchise roles.
1 hour ago
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer dropped a crisp update on the speculated 'F1' sequel
21 hours ago
Tom Hanks’ ‘Greyhound 2’ finally gets an exciting update and it's fantastic news for war film buffs
22 hours ago
From crime thrillers to true crime and comedy, here are the 5 best movies from Netflix’s Top 10 you can’t miss this week.
1 day ago
Slated to release on February 13, the movie features Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo in leading roles
1 day ago
Released on Christmas, the biographical drama secured Kate Hudson an Oscar nomination and will be available for streaming sooner than we thought.
1 day ago
Rick and Evelyn are back in talks with ancient danger as a classic adventure quietly prepares for its long-awaited cinematic return.
1 day ago
Quentin Tarantino’s extended ‘Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair’ finally hits digital, letting fans watch the four-hour epic at home.
1 day ago
‘Wuthering Heights’ is heading to theaters on February 13, but many viewers are already wondering when it’ll be available to stream
2 days ago
Keira Knightley and Alicia Vikander lead British dark comedy ‘The Worst,’ a twisted, star-studded tale of chaos and sharp satire.
2 days ago