Disney/20th Century’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” has reached one last box office milestone in its 10th weekend in theaters by passing the lifetime gross of “Titanic” with a global total of $2.24 billion.
This means that the Best Picture Oscar-nominated sequel sits only behind the first “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame” and is in third on the all-time global box office list before inflation adjustment. $658 million of its global gross has come from North America with $242 million from China and more than $100 million each from France, Germany and South Korea.
The runaway success of “The Way of Water” despite releasing 13 years after the first “Avatar” likely seals James Cameron’s sci-fi saga as a major holiday season moneymaker for the box office in the years to come. Cameron is set to direct three more “Avatar” films that are set for release by Disney and 20th Century in 2024, 2026 and 2028.
It took a little bit longer than expected for “Titanic” to cede the No. 3 all-time spot to “Avatar 2” as that film, also directed by Cameron, received a 25th-anniversary re-release with Paramount handling domestic distribution while Disney handled overseas. “Titanic” has added $48 million to its lifetime gross through this reissue, and “The Way of Water” would have passed it on the global charts without that addition a week ago.
