Part 4/10:
Fast forward to 2022, and audiences were introduced to Avatar: The Way of Water, which debuted with $134 million domestically—roughly double the opening weekend of the original Avatar in 2009. This growth aligns with increased ticket prices, more screens—including a surge in IMAX and other premium formats—and a larger overall audience willing to pay a premium for 3D and high-format screenings.
Despite the higher opening weekend, the sequel’s box office legs tell a different story. Instead of maintaining the 11x multiplier seen in 2009 (where the film ultimately earned over 11 times its opening), The Way of Water managed a 5x multiple—culminating in a domestic gross of around $680 million—a figure still impressive but significantly less than the original’s legacy.