‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Secures China Release

The long-awaited sequel will premiere day and date with the North American release on Dec. 16

Avatar: The Way of Water 2022 Film Still
Walt Disney Studios

“Avatar: The Way of Water” will release theatrically in China, making it one of the only Hollywood blockbusters in recent years to do so following the pandemic.

James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to 2009’s sci-fi epic “Avatar” will hit premiere in Chinese theaters on Dec. 16, day and date with its release in the U.S. and Canada. It’s set to play in IMAX along with in traditional format. 20th Century Studios announced the news, along with the official trailer and a new poster, on the social media platform Sina Weibo.

“Avatar 2” is looking to repeat the success of the original film in international territories, where it scored $2.13 billion – or over 73% – of its total revenue. In China alone, it made $261.8 million, or nearly 10% of its total $2.9 billion.

The film’s run in China, the second-largest theatrical market in the world before the pandemic and one of the fastest to recover from it, should play a significant role in efforts to recoup its massive budget. On Tuesday, Cameron revealed that “Avatar 2” must generate $2 billion to break even. For it to be profitable, he said, “you have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. That’s your threshold.”

It is “the worst business case in movie history,” he added.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.

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