Concerns around the success of the much-awaitedAvatarsequelWay of Waterhave been making rounds for quite a long time now. And these concerns are not because sequels often fail to follow the success of their predecessors. Reported to have a budget of nearly half a billion dollars,Way of Wateris by far the most ambitious and expensive film in history. But this is just a rumored estimate without accounting for the other expenses, consideringJames Cameronhas been heavily invested in the project since the release and success of the first film.Cameron even admitted to GQthat the movie would have to become the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history to break even. With the film grossing over half a billion dollars at the global box office within the first week of its release, the goal seems achievable, but will that be enough to sustain Cameron’s ambitious franchise that has multiple movies in production? That’s a billion-dollar question that will need more than a billion dollars to be answered.
Avatarbecame the first film ever to pass $2.9 billionat the all-time global box office with its latest re-release that provided audiences another chance to refresh their memories and ready themselves to welcome Pandora back again in December uponWay of Water’srelease. The film was made on a budget of $237 million with another $150 billion set aside for marketing. Compared to that,Way of Water’s budget lies somewhere between $350-450 dollars with no official confirmation on the exact amount. Even if the official confirmation comes in, the actual amount of money that went intoWay of Waterwill still remain a clouded figure considering the multiple delays the film has suffered over the years. While audiences who havewitnessed the CGI and 3D marvel thatWay of Wateris will agree that the money behind the film was put to good use, the real question is whetherWay of Waterwill prove that the project is an economically sustainable one or is it time for Cameron to put a limit to his ambitions?
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Factors In Favor Of Way Of Water
After achieving one of the highest openings in the last couple of years,Way of Waterhas a few factors playing in its favor. Firstly, the 13-year-long wait has definitely managed to create hype that few other films have enjoyed lately. It’s not only the long wait that has contributed to the hype but also the visually awe-inspiring experience that the original film brought with it. Understandably, the original film has had its fair share of criticism over the years. However, the technical achievements and the visual brilliance thatAvataroffered in theatres all those years back is not one that has been replicated a lot ever since. Importantly, even critics ofAvatarhave been curious to know what freshness Cameron brings this time around.
Another crucial aspect behindWay of Water’s initial success at least is the fact thatAvatarappeals to a wider audience base. It’s not just the young superhero fandom or the action-adventure movie watchers club that wants to know what happened next withJake Sully(Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). In many markets around the globe, theAvatarfranchise is more than just a 3D sci-fi action adventure.Avataroffered something for fans of all genres including romance, action, and sci-fi. For those who weren’t interested at all in what was going on story-wise,Avataroffered a lot in terms of a visual experience with which one can go home after the movie. Also, audiences who witnessed the original marvel back in 2009 might just be curious about whether the wait was worth it. With new audiences also pouring in,Way of Watercan expect to cover some ground in its early weeks.
What’s the Target Box Office For Way Of Water?
If one is to believe what the maker of the film said,Way of Waterwill have to rank among the top 5 highest-grossing films of all time. WithAvataralready sitting on the top of that list with $2.9 billion in box-office collection, it might look like an easy job. But it may not be that easy considering thatWay of Waterwill have to hit the $2 billion mark - a feat only achieved by 4 other films apart fromAvatar.It’s good news for Cameron that he has achieved it twice withTitanicranking 3rd presently. As per Cameron,Way of Waterwill have to meet the success of his ownTitanicandStar Wars: The Force Awakensto break even before it starts making a profit. But an important aspect to consider here is thatAvatar 3was also produced simultaneously. So one cannot be sure whether Cameron accounted for the production cost for the two other sequels that he plans to release in the coming years when he made the statement aboutWay of Water’s box-office target.
Does that mean that a whopping $2 billion was spent on bringing the Na’vi back? Now while that’s a question that Cameron andJon Landaucan answer, it is to be noted here that only five movies released after 2015 have grossed over $1.5 billion globally with this year’sTop Gun: Maverickslowly inching closer to the said milestone. If all these numbers and statistics are taken into account, it becomes clear that the way ahead forWay of Wateris not going to be an easy one. Importantly, post the pandemic, onlySpider-Man: No Way Homehas breached the list of top 10 highest-grossing films of all time withFurious 7sitting at the number 10 spot with $1.52 billion. Everyone knows that quite a few things propelled the third film inTom Hollandstarring Spider-Man trilogy to an overall collection of $1.92 billion. If anything, it took three Spider-Mans (Spider-Men?) to make it possible.
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Avatar 3’s Chances Are The Strongest
Some parallels can also be drawn betweenAvatarandWay of Water.The first film had opened low but picked up pace over the coming months. When compared to the original,Way of Waterhas hada phenomenal opening week.Whether the sequel will manage the same numbers in the coming weeks and months could be arguable given how the entertainment industry has transformed over the years. It has only become easier for audiences to move over a film. But despite all this,Way of Watercan capitalize on its holiday release and continue to cruise toward the $2 billion mark. A lot will depend on the reception the other films will get in the coming weeks though asWay of Wateris expected to get some competition after its honeymoon period gets over. It’s still too early to say whetherWay of Waterwill touch the $2 billion mark and make itself a profitable project.
Way of Water’ssuccess is important because it will determine the nature of the backing and money that the makers can put into future films. ForWay of Water, the film had a lot of things going on for the past 13 years since the original’s release, resulting in the success that it garnered in its first two weekends in theaters. Everyone can acknowledge howAvatarhad become an iconic cultural behemoth for the entertainment industry post its unprecedented success. The job forWay of Wateris to takeAvatar’slegacy forward, and it has managed to do that as far as critical and fan reception goes with many agreeing that the sequel is a step up from the predecessor. WhileWay of Water’sbox-office collection would be a dream run for any film, it still has a long way to go given things are expected to slow down from hereon. Although its final numbers may have an impact on the future of theAvatarfranchise which has multiple planned films in the pipeline,Way of Water’s initial success has potentially guaranteed thatAvatar 3can be expected to follow, even if it is just to bring closure toJake Sully and Neytiri’s sagawith one final film in could make it theAvatartrilogy.
