Avatar: The Way of the Water got a hot start, opening to $15.8 million in over 15 markets on its first day of release. The international reception to the latest installment will likely make-or-break the Disney franchise. The 2009 original grossed $2.13 billion of its $2.9 billion total box office in foreign markets. The James Caemron film will play in every major market aside from Russia.
In Korea, where the film got its largest reception, Avatar: The Way of the Water opened to 3.3 million. In France it grossed $2.6 million, $2.5 million in Germany, and $1.6 million in Italy. It not only did well in terms of getting people to the theaters, but also dominated market share rates. In Sweden, the film captured 92 percent of the market share while grossing $600 thousand.
Aside from opening day numbers, the film also did well in its previews where it grossed $4.4 million across Latin America, $1.3 million in Australia, and $2.6 million in China.
Other than the United States, the movies most important market will be China where the original brought in around $265 million. The entertainment market in China has been in peril for the last few years. Only 77 percent of their theaters remain open. And, even after lockdown measures have eased following nationwide protests, people are still staying home due to a surge in infection rates.
Disney is also banking on people returning to theaters multiple times to see the film. The original Avatar had legs and was the reason it became the highest grossing movie of all time despite only raising $77 million its opening weekend in the U.S. Projections place the second installment of the franchise to open to $150 million over its opening weekend. While this number is huge, it will still lag behind Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Cameron has said that the film needs to be in the top five highest grossing films of all time in order to just break even.
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