Winter is Coming
Fansided

Avatar 2 must be the 3rd or 4th highest-grossing film ever to break even

By Ariba Bhuvad

(L-R): Ronal, Tonowari, and the Metkayina clan in 20th Century Studios' AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
(L-R): Ronal, Tonowari, and the Metkayina clan in 20th Century Studios' AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. /
facebooktwitterreddit

We don’t know exactly how much it cost James Cameron to make his upcoming movie Avatar 2: The Way of Water, but it’s believed to be in the neighborhood of $250 million. When GQ asked the director about the budget, all he had to say was, “Very f***king expensive.” I can only imagine;have you all seen the epic trailers?

Apparently, Cameron told Disney and 20th Century Studios executives that the budget for Avatar 2 was so high that it would represent “the worst business case in movie history.” So why did the studios go ahead and proceed with the film? Well, the guy did make blockbusters like Aliens, Terminator 2, Titanic and the first Avatar, so he’s a pretty safe bet. Still, the studios are putting a lot on the line here.

Cameron understands what’s at stake. He estimates that for the sequel to break even, it must be “the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. That’s your threshold. That’s your break even.”

Avatar: The Way of Water must be incredibly successful just to break even

To put this in context, let’s talk about history’s most successful films. Without adjusting for inflation, 2009’s Avatar sits at number one with $2.9 billion earned at the box office, followed by Avengers: Endgame at $2.7 billion, then Titanic at $2.1 billion. For Avatar 2 to break even, it needs to surpass fourth place finisher Star Wars: Force Awakens ($2.07 billion) and fifth place finisher Avengers: Infinity War ($2.05 billion).

That’s a pretty tall order, but not an impossible one considering two of Cameron’s movies currently sit in the number one and number three spots. There’s also the fact that people have been waiting over a decade for this sequel; curiosity will surely pull in a lot of people.

I’d say the odds are in Cameron’s favor! Avatar: The Way of Water releases in theaters on December 16, 2022.

Next. Every Marvel movie and show from Phase 4, ranked worst to best. dark

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime, and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/t Variety

Home/Sci-Fi Movies and Shows