Avatar sequel leads in North America, passes US$1b globally

AVATAR: The Way of Water took in an estimated US$82.4 million this holiday weekend in North America, pushing it past a global total of US$1 billion in near record time, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on Sunday (Jan 1).

The four-day domestic take for the sci-fi flick brought its domestic total to US$440.5 million, on top of US$957 million earned overseas; only a half-dozen films have passed the US$1 billion mark in their first two weeks.

But director James Cameron has estimated that the high-budget 20th Century movie needs to make twice that much just to break even. The original Avatar took in a record US$2.9 billion.

Second place in North American theatres went to Universal’s family-oriented Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, a computer-animated spin-off of the popular Shrek franchise. It took in US$22 million for the Friday-through-Monday period.

Another blockbuster sequel, Disney’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, earned US$6.5 million to place third; its domestic total rose to US$439.6 million in its eighth week out.

In fourth place was Sony biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, at US$5.4 million. English actress Naomi Ackie portrays the late superstar.

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And in fifth was Paramount’s comedy-drama Babylon, at US$3.6 million. Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie star in director Damien Chazelle’s over-the-top tribute to an early Hollywood struggling with the transition from silent films to “talkies.”

Rounding out the top 10 were Violent Night (US$2.8 million), The Whale (US$1.8 million), The Fabelmans (US$1.6 million), The Menu (US$1.4 million) and Strange World (US$747,000). AFP