AGL 40.00 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
AIRLINK 129.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.53 (-0.41%)
BOP 6.76 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (1.2%)
CNERGY 4.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-2.81%)
DCL 8.70 Decreased By ▼ -0.24 (-2.68%)
DFML 41.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.69 (-1.66%)
DGKC 81.30 Decreased By ▼ -2.47 (-2.95%)
FCCL 32.68 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-0.27%)
FFBL 74.25 Decreased By ▼ -1.22 (-1.62%)
FFL 11.75 Increased By ▲ 0.28 (2.44%)
HUBC 110.03 Decreased By ▼ -0.52 (-0.47%)
HUMNL 13.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.76 (-5.22%)
KEL 5.29 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-1.86%)
KOSM 7.63 Decreased By ▼ -0.77 (-9.17%)
MLCF 38.35 Decreased By ▼ -1.44 (-3.62%)
NBP 63.70 Increased By ▲ 3.41 (5.66%)
OGDC 194.88 Decreased By ▼ -4.78 (-2.39%)
PAEL 25.75 Decreased By ▼ -0.90 (-3.38%)
PIBTL 7.37 Decreased By ▼ -0.29 (-3.79%)
PPL 155.74 Decreased By ▼ -2.18 (-1.38%)
PRL 25.70 Decreased By ▼ -1.03 (-3.85%)
PTC 17.56 Decreased By ▼ -0.90 (-4.88%)
SEARL 78.71 Decreased By ▼ -3.73 (-4.52%)
TELE 7.88 Decreased By ▼ -0.43 (-5.17%)
TOMCL 33.61 Decreased By ▼ -0.90 (-2.61%)
TPLP 8.41 Decreased By ▼ -0.65 (-7.17%)
TREET 16.26 Decreased By ▼ -1.21 (-6.93%)
TRG 58.60 Decreased By ▼ -2.72 (-4.44%)
UNITY 27.51 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (0.29%)
WTL 1.41 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (2.17%)
BR100 10,450 Increased By 43.4 (0.42%)
BR30 31,209 Decreased By -504.2 (-1.59%)
KSE100 97,798 Increased By 469.8 (0.48%)
KSE30 30,481 Increased By 288.3 (0.95%)

LOS ANGELES: James Cameron's long-awaited 'Avatar' sequel fell short of ticket sales forecasts as it swept into theaters over the weekend, though box office experts said it was too soon to judge whether the movie would recoup its massive costs.

'Avatar: The Way of Water' racked up roughly $435 million around the globe, distributor Walt Disney Co said, including $134 million in the United States and Canada.

Pre-weekend predictions called for at least a $140 million domestic tally for Cameron's decade-in-the-making return to the story of the blue, Na'vi people on a moon called Pandora, and as much as $500 million worldwide.

First 'Avatar 2' footage shown as Disney, Universal hit CinemaCon

While the numbers came in lower than projections, the global total ranked as the third-highest Hollywood opening of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Comscore.

Box office analysts said 'The Way of Water' had the chance to draw large family audiences over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. The film has little major competition until February.

'The Way of Water' is "built for the long haul, as are almost all James Cameron films," said Jeff Bock, senior media analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co. Audiences "may not show up the opening weekend, but they will show up eventually."

Studios split ticket sales with theaters, and Cameron has said 'The Way of Water' will need to make $2 billion just to break even. Disney has not disclosed the budget and marketing costs.

The movie was released 13 years after the first installment wowed audiences with pioneering 3D technology. The original 'Avatar' remains the all-time box office champion with $2.9 billion in global ticket sales.

The first 'Avatar' and Cameron's 'Titanic', which also dominated at the box office the year it was released, played in theaters for weeks longer than most movies.

Tony Chambers, head of theatrical distribution at Disney, said he expected 'The Way of Water' to bring in strong sales over the holiday period and said its performance should be judged after the New Year.

"We know it's resonating," he said, noting positive reactions from ticket buyers and film critics. "We are in very good shape."

The sequel was delayed multiple times as Cameron and co-writers crafted a story to be told over four additional movies. A third 'Avatar' installment and part of a fourth already have been filmed.

In 'The Way of Water,' actors Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana return as Jake Sully and Neytiri 10 years later, now parents of five children. Their peaceful life is interrupted when the Sky People, the Na'vi name for humans, return to go after Jake.

Film critics praised the visual spectacle of 'The Way of Water,' and 94% of ticket buyers provided a positive rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website.

Comments

Comments are closed.