After a decade which saw Hollywood viewing Chinese box office as a path to fortune and glory, with a rapidly expanding marketplace providing a boost to overall grosses for their biggest franchise-friendly blockbusters, the last three years have seen a reversal of fortune which may leave China’s moviegoing industry struggling to justify its value to Tinseltown. Enter “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
James Cameron’s 3-D sequel just won approval for release on Dec. 16, the same day the sequel opens in most territories, including the U.S. The global success of the original “Avatar” — which earned a then-record $200 million when it opened in China in early 2010 (a 2021 re-release earned an additional $57 million) — helped convince Hollywood to focus on the Middle Kingdom as a growing movie market.