Avatar 2 makes its box office debut

Avatar: The Way of the Water scored a huge box office debut, with fans flocking to see the long-awaited sequel over the weekend.

As reported by Deadline, the 13-year-old James Cameron film, has so far grossed $435 million worldwide in its first three days, slightly below its $500 million target. In the United States, the film has cost $134 million so far, just below its projections of $150-175 million.

It’s not the most profitable opening of the year, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness racking up $442 million worldwide since its opening weekend, but those numbers could change when they’re updated tomorrow.

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With the schedule for the remainder of December being sparse, executives hope Avatar: The Way of the Water can capitalize on the relative lack of competition. The success of the first film, which became the highest-grossing film of all time upon its release, was due to its longevity, so the sequel could follow the same trajectory.

The way of the water is the second installment in a planned five-film franchise, with filming for the third entry already underway. Cameron, who has already had great success with Titanic and Terminator 2: Judgment Dayrecently spoke exclusively with digital spy on the development of the second sequel.

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“We have already done the heavy lifting. We still have to go through the whole finishing process with Wētā FX on Avatar 3. But I’m pretty sure we’ll be back here in a few years,” he said. “It hasn’t changed at all. We’re on the right track – assuming we succeed, right?

“Obviously we have to make a profit or we’re not going to keep making it and banging our heads against the wall. But if we’re successful, you know, movie three is in the box. Part of the movie four is in the box. I strongly believe in the rest of the script. I really strongly believe in the script for five,” he continued.

Avatar: The Way of the Water is currently in theaters.