According to the latest global box office numbers, Disney’s re-release of James Cameron’s record-setting science-fiction epic generated $31 million at the global box office, to further strengthen its title claim as the biggest movie of all time, with $2.85 billion made from global premieres. This good news bodes well for the premiere of The Way of Water in December. As per Variety, Avatar took the top spot in its nth theatrical release in the following markets:
North America ($10 million) France ($2.9 million) Italy ($1.5 million) Germany ($1.3 million) United Kingdom ($1.3 million) Korea ($1.3 million)
Avatar’s success after coming out again, on a random weekend, should erase all doubts that surround the potential release of Cameron’s long-delayed and extravagant sequel. James Cameron should feel emboldened by the numbers after initially expressing his concern for the amount of risk that the franchise is taking. You can add this to a growing list of signs for Avatar 2 after the upcoming DCEU film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods was initially delayed by a week to avoid rolling out on the same weekend as Avatar: The Way of Water. Now that Shazam 2 has been pushed back to 2023, the sequel will have little reason not to post spectacular numbers. If Avatar 2 and 3 do nearly as well as the first Avatar at the global box office, Cameron will have no choice but to confirm his return to the director’s seat for the series’ planned fourth and fifth installments.