How The‘Avatar: The Way Of The Water’ Opening Compares To Other Major Films This Year

The film earned an estimated $134 million in its opening weekend, falling short of expectations as it faces pressure to become profitable and live up to the first film's record-breaking worldwide gross.

A less-than-record-breaking opening doesn't mean automatic failure for a film, as was the case with Top Gun: Maverick, which went on to become the highest-grossing movie of the year.

In 2009, the film had an opening of over 77 million and went on to gross over 2 billion dollars, making it the highest grossing film of all time.

The opening of a movie can be a good indicator of how a movie will perform, as well as an indicator of how many people are interested in a movie.

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1. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness — $187.4 million ($955 million worldwide gross)
2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — $181.3 million ($786.4 million worldwide gross)
3. Jurassic World: Dominion — $145 million ($1 billion worldwide gross)
4. Thor: Love And Thunder — $144.1 million ($760.9 million worldwide gross)
5. The Batman — $134 million ($770.8 worldwide gross)
6. Avatar: The Way Of Water — $134 million ($434.5 worldwide gross)
7. Top Gun: Maverick — $126.7 million ($1.48 billion worldwide gross)
8. Minions: The Rise Of Gru — $107 million ($939.4 million worldwide gross)
9. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 — $72.1 million ($402.6 million worldwide gross)
10. Black Adam — $67 million ($390 million worldwide gross)

Surprising Fact

The majority of the highest-grossing films this year were sequel or spinoffs of major films.

Key Background

The Way Of Water needed to be one of the highest grossing films of all time in order to become profitable, according to director James Cameron. The film cost over $350 million. The critics were mostly positive about the movie. It has an A grade on CinemaScore.

The way of water is the top-grossing movie of all time.

The way of water raked in $53 million on its opening day, which may not be enough.

The way of water is called a grand slam by critics ahead of its debut.