Avatar's re-release opening weekend has proven profitable, having earned $30 million in global box office sales, creating an even larger gap for future films to reach.

Variety reported that Avatar's successful re-release is great news for the franchise's sequel. The film surpassed the box office success of Spider-Man: No Way Home's re-release over Labor Day weekend which earned $5.4 million. Impressively, No Way Home was available in over twice as many theaters as Avatar, but the 2009 science fiction film dominated again. Indeed, 13 years after Avatar's initial release, the film still nearly dominated the box office again. Plus, the new success will further secure the film's status -- with $2.85 billion -- as the world's highest-earning film, making any future challenges even more difficult.

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Avatar's Lucrative Box Office Homecoming

Avatar's re-release placed first at the box office in smaller markets like France, Italy, Singapore and Thailand, but the film ranked at No. 3 in North America, earning $10 million domestically. The new release Don't Worry Darling topped the weekend with $19.2 million and The Woman King narrowly beat Avatar with $11 million in sales. Surprisingly, the 2009 film performed remarkably well for a movie many people could stream at home for free, validating the excitement audiences might have for the sequel's release later this year.

Said sequel, titled Avatar: The Way of the Water, is set to release on Dec. 16, 2022, having experienced years of delays due to COVID-19. The sequel is considered one of the most expensive films of all time with a budget of $250 million. The original Avatar's re-release was successful without significant promotion or marketing, which added confidence about the sequel's ability to perform well in theaters. The development is especially encouraging since the franchise expects to develop three more sequels after The Way of the Water, releasing a new installment every two years until Dec. 22, 2028.

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The Way of the Water is set 13 years after the events of the first film, centering around Jake Sully, his wife Neytiri and their family. The story will follow the survival tactics this family must exact to keep each other safe. Jake, the protagonist of the original film, abandoned his human body to become one of the Na'vi and join forces with the love of his life. In this film, audiences will see what exactly life with the Na'vi entails.

Much of the original cast will return for this sequel and future films in the franchise. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña reprise their roles as Jake and Neytiri, respectively, while Sigourney Weaver returns as a different character, named Kiri, the protagonists' adoptive teenage daughter. Stephen Lang will reprise his role as Colonel Miles Quaritch, Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman and CHH Pounder as Mo'at.

Avatar: The Way of the Water is set to arrive at theaters on Dec. 16, 2022.

Source: Variety