{"id":168355,"date":"2022-12-26T00:13:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-26T00:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/avatar-sequel-sails-to-2nd-week-atop-the-box-office\/"},"modified":"2022-12-26T00:13:00","modified_gmt":"2022-12-26T00:13:00","slug":"avatar-sequel-sails-to-2nd-week-atop-the-box-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/avatar-sequel-sails-to-2nd-week-atop-the-box-office\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Avatar’ sequel sails to 2nd week atop the box office"},"content":{"rendered":"
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LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water\u201d sailed to the top of the box office in its second weekend, bringing in what studios estimate Sunday will be a strong $56 million in North America \u2014 a sign that the sequel may stay afloat into the new year and approach the massive expectations that met its release. <\/p>\n

James Cameron’s digital extravaganza for 20th Century Studios has made $253.7 million domestically in its first 10 days of release, compared to $212.7 million in the same stretch for 2009\u2032s first \u201cAvatar,\u201d which would go on to become the highest-grossing film of all time. <\/p>\n

While Cameron’s films like the \u201cAvatar\u201d original and \u201cTitanic\u201d tend to have serious legs at the box office, sequels tend to open big and decline quickly, complicating guesses on where the film will end up. Its second-weekend drop-off from the $134 million it made in its first was not precipitous, given the way blockbusters open. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is James Cameron’s first $100 million opener,\u201d said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore \u201cFor this movie to have opened that big and only dropped 58%, it shows it has staying power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Globally, \u201cThe Way of Water\u201d is already the third highest-grossing film released in 2022, bringing in $855 million \u2014 putting it behind only \u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d and \u201cJurassic World Dominion\u201d \u2014 and is a lock to surpass $1 billion . <\/p>\n

It’s also clear sailing for the film looking ahead, with more holiday time coming and no comparable competition until February, when Marvel’s \u201cAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania\u201d is released. <\/p>\n

Storms across the US could keep people home, however. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest foe that Avatar is facing at this moment is the weather,\u201d Dergarabedian said. <\/p>\n

Universal’s animated Shrek spinoff, \u201cPuss in Boots: The Last Wish,\u201d featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, finished a distant second with $11.35 million in its opening weekend. <\/p>\n

Sony’s biopic \u201cWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody\u201d finished third with $5.3 million.<\/p>\n

The weekend’s biggest disappointment was \u201cBabylon,\u201d the epic of early Hollywood from \u201cLa La Land\u201d director Damian Chazelle starring Brad Pitt and and Margo Robbie. In a nationwide release it brought in just $3.5 million, finishing fourth. <\/p>\n

The tepid, $6.5 million opening weekend in October of director David O. Russell’s \u201cAmsterdam,\u201d another movie, set in a similar period, that combined prestige, scope, star power and a celebrated auteur, brought industry worries that audiences just weren’t flocking to theaters for such films. <\/p>\n

The concerns justified, as \u201cBabylon\u201d barely made more than half of the opening of \u201cAmsterdam.\u201d <\/p>\n

The coming weeks in theaters, streaming showings and any nominations it may get could help \u201cBabylon\u201d rise above bomb status. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would say Babylon is a movie that isn’t about the opening weekend,\u201d Dergarabedian said. \u201cWe’ll have to see what it does in the coming weeks then into the new year, particularly if it gets more awards buzz.\u201d <\/p>\n

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. <\/p>\n

1. \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water,\u201d $56 million.<\/p>\n

2. \u201cPuss in Boots: The Last Wish,\u201d 11.35 million. <\/p>\n

3. \u201cWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,\u201d $5.3 million. <\/p>\n

4. \u201cBabylon,\u201d $3.5 million. <\/p>\n

5. \u201cViolent Night,\u201d $3.14 million.<\/p>\n

6. \u201cBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever,\u201d $3 million.<\/p>\n

7. \u201cThe Whale,\u201d $924,000. <\/p>\n

8. \u201cThe Menu,\u201d $617,000. <\/p>\n

9. \u201cThe Fabelmans,\u201d $550,000.<\/p>\n

10. \u201cStrange World,\u201d $410,000. <\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

This story has been corrected to show that weekend studio estimates say \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water\u201d brought in $56 million in North America, not $58 million.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/andyjamesdalton<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n