"12 years have passed. No one cares anymore."
"People were impressed with the visual effects in the first film, that's why it made so much money and people don't have interest in the sequel".
"The first film was lucky to make that much money. It won't happen again".
"No one is gonna want to sit through a 3 hour Avatar movie."
All of these comments are starting to sound hilarious now that it's a box office success.
It really is quite amazing! When you do a day-by day comparison of Avatar vs Avatar 2's box office in the US, Avatar 2's making almost exactly what the first one made at the same rate, adjusted for inflation. That is, after 19 days, Avatar was at $367 million domestic, whereas Avatar 2 is at $457 million. And foreign box office is tracking similarly despite no Russia and various other head-winds. It looks for all the world as if Avatar 2 is going to make about what the first made when adjusted for inflation, i.e, to be at least very close to being the biggest box office film of all time. I confess to be being very skeptical that this would happen. The bottom line for both Avatars seems to be that they're both spectacular *enough* so that regardless of their flaws a hell of lot of people feel they *have* to see them and then also feel like they got their money's worth/give good word of mouth about their experience.
shareI thought this would make about $500M less worldwide but mostly because movies aren't making as much as they used to. I didn't expect it to be such a big hit in its first two weeks.
shareI think it is because it is different. By different I mean that it is not the usual MCU blockbusters we’ve had for over a decade. I think a lot of people are getting burned out by them. I know I am.
Plus, it is a more Universal story, just like the first one.
I'm a superhero hater (except Batman), so I like to see superhero movies flop and I don't care if it's Marvel or DC.
shareI was only concerned that it might do bad after the pandemic. Once Top Gun Maveric showed that cinema is not dead and people still want to go to cinema and have a cinematic event in their lives, I knew Avatar 2 will do good.
shareThe pandemic was the only thing that made me think that it wouldn't make as much as the first. I still knew this would be a hit.
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