The December 2022 release of the long-awaited "Avatar: The Way of Water" has been accompanied by loud fanfare and high hopes. The much-delayed sequel to 2009's record-annihilating "Avatar," "The Way of Water" was realized on a whopping 350 million U.S. dollar budget, and is eyeing a global opening of 525 million.
Sequel showdown: Will Avatar 2 beat the Avengers?
It remains to be seen whether James Cameron's newest opus will be able to take its older sibling's crown of highest-earning movie ever, and thus also be confirmed as the all-time best-selling sequel. As of the last weeks of 2022, "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) held the top spot among second installments, with a global box office revenue of 2.8 billion dollars. "Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens" (2015) followed with an international profit of 2.06 billion dollars, while "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) came in third with a smooth 2.05 billion. The resounding success of the Marvel and Star Wars franchises has made it so that seven out of the 10 most successful sequels ever belong to The Walt Disney Company. The House of Mouse has also owned the rights to the Avatar franchise since its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019.
Avatar 2 sets its sights on China
As of the end of 2022, "Avatar"'s revenue in China has amounted to around 265 million dollars. "The Way of Water" is aiming to surpass its predecessor's revenue in the Middle Kingdom, and has already succeeded in becoming the highest-grossing Hollywood film to be released there in 2022, as well as in making China its top international market. The Avatar sequel was one of the few international films to be released in the Chinese market in recent months - due to quotas on the amount of foreign movies that are allowed to show. In early 2023, the film was reported to have been given the green light to extend its run beyond the habitual 30-day limit for Hollywood pictures in the country.
All-time highest-grossing movie sequels worldwide as of December 2022
(in billion U.S. dollars)
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Total box office revenue in billion U.S. dollars
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the-numbers.com. (December 16, 2022). All-time highest-grossing movie sequels worldwide as of December 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1353402/highest-grossing-movie-sequels-of-all-time/
the-numbers.com. "All-time highest-grossing movie sequels worldwide as of December 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)." Chart. December 16, 2022. Statista. Accessed June 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1353402/highest-grossing-movie-sequels-of-all-time/
the-numbers.com. (2022). All-time highest-grossing movie sequels worldwide as of December 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1353402/highest-grossing-movie-sequels-of-all-time/
the-numbers.com. "All-time Highest-grossing Movie Sequels Worldwide as of December 2022 (in Billion U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Dec 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1353402/highest-grossing-movie-sequels-of-all-time/
the-numbers.com, All-time highest-grossing movie sequels worldwide as of December 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1353402/highest-grossing-movie-sequels-of-all-time/ (last visited June 30, 2024)
All-time highest-grossing movie sequels worldwide as of December 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph], the-numbers.com, December 16, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1353402/highest-grossing-movie-sequels-of-all-time/