LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water" sailed to the top of the box office in its second weekend, bringing in what studios estimate Sunday will be a strong $56 million in North America 鈥� a sign that the sequel may stay afloat into the new year and approach the massive expectations that met its release.
for 20th Century Studios has made $253.7 million domestically in its first 10 days of release, compared to $212.7 million in the same stretch for 2009's first 鈥淎vatar,鈥� which would go on to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
While Cameron's films like the 鈥淎vatar鈥� original and 鈥淭itanic鈥� tend to have serious legs at the box office, sequels tend to open big and decline quickly, complicating guesses on where the film will end up. Its second-weekend drop-off from the was not precipitous, given the way blockbusters open.
鈥淭his is James Cameron鈥檚 first $100 million opener,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore 鈥淔or this movie to have opened that big and only dropped 58%, it shows it has staying power.鈥�
Globally, 鈥淭he Way of Water鈥� is already the third highest-grossing film released in 2022, bringing in $855 million 鈥� putting it behind only 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� and 鈥淛urassic World Dominion鈥� 鈥� and is a lock to surpass $1 billion.
It's also clear sailing for the film looking ahead, with more holiday time coming and no comparable competition until February, when Marvel's 鈥淎nt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania鈥� is released.
could keep people home, however.
鈥淭he biggest foe that Avatar is facing at this moment is the weather,鈥� Dergarabedian said.
Universal鈥檚 animated Shrek spinoff, 鈥淧uss in Boots: The Last Wish," featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, finished a distant second with $11.35 million in its opening weekend.
Sony's biopic 鈥淲hitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody鈥� finished third with $5.3 million.
The weekend's biggest disappointment was 鈥淏abylon,鈥� the epic of early Hollywood from 鈥淟a La Land鈥� director Damian Chazelle starring Brad Pitt and and Margo Robbie. In a nationwide release it brought in just $3.5 million, finishing fourth.
The tepid, $6.5 million opening weekend in October of director David O. Russell's 鈥淎msterdam," another film, set in a similar period, that combined prestige, scope, star power and a celebrated auteur, brought industry worries that audiences just weren't flocking to theaters for such films.
The concerns proved justified, as 鈥淏abylon鈥� barely made more than half of the opening of 鈥淎msterdam.鈥�
The coming weeks in theaters, streaming showings and any nominations it may get could help 鈥淏abylon" rise above bomb status.
鈥淚 would say Babylon is a movie that isn鈥檛 about the opening weekend,鈥� Dergarabedian said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l have to see what it does in the coming weeks then into the new year, particularly if it gets more awards buzz.鈥�
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water,鈥� $56 million.
2. 鈥淧uss in Boots: The Last Wish," 11.35 million.
3. 鈥淲hitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,鈥� $5.3 million.
4. 鈥淏abylon,鈥� $3.5 million.
5. 鈥淰iolent Night,鈥� $3.14 million.
6. 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever,鈥� $3 million.
7. 鈥淭he Whale,鈥� $924,000.
8. 鈥淭he Menu,鈥� $617,000.
9. 鈥淭he Fabelmans,鈥� $550,000.
10. "Strange World," $410,000.
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This story has been corrected to show that weekend studio estimates say 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥� brought in $56 million in North America, not $58 million.
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Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
