Weekend Box Office At $37M, Near 2022 Low Before ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Soaks Up All The Air

After earning the highest grossing Tuesday of 2022 with $24.1M, 20th Century Studios/Disney/Lightstorm’s Avatar: The Way of Water also notched the best Wednesday of the year yesterday with $20.4M beating Top Gun: Maverick‘s June 1 take of $14.8M, and Avatar 2‘s first Wednesday of $14.4M. At a running total of $337.9M through 13 days, the James Cameron directed, Jon Landau produced sequel is pacing 1% ahead of Top Gun: Maverick at the same point in time.

Any cynicism about a broken down Christmas box office, impacted by weather, was wiped away Tuesday as 20th Century Studios/Disney/Lightstorm’s Avatar: The Way of Water racked up $23.8M sending its domestic cume to $317.1M. In addition, the sequel flew past the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Director James Cameron has told the media that the breakeven point for Avatar: The Way of Water stands at $2 billion global mark.

By now, you know the story of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” a meditation on grief and vengeance centered on the point of view of T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), who eventually dons the mantle of the new Black Panther (read our review). You probably also know the story of the original ‘Wakanda Forever’ screenplay too; the one written after Chadwick Boseman’s death, and tragically, one he was never able to read before he passed.

Many details have been coming out about the making of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” this week. Director Ryan Coogler has slowly been revealing details about the original version of the screenplay written before Chadwick Boseman‘s died—a version he was sadly too sick to read and never got the chance to do so.

Ryan Coogler has revealed the complicated backstory on what his film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was supposed to be before the tragic death of the original film’s star, Chadwick Boseman.

By now, you know the story of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” a meditation on grief and vengeance centered on the point of view of T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), who eventually dons the mantle of the new Black Panther (read our review). You probably also know the story of the original ‘Wakanda Forever’ screenplay too; the one written after Chadwick Boseman’s death, and tragically, one he was never able to read before he passed.

It has been apparent in talking to Oscar voters across many branches that the one title that keeps coming up at the top of their lists is Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front, which is the German entry for International Feature Film. That it has strength across the board though is borne out with the Oscar shortlists in 10 categories released Wednesday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Christmas weekend is definitely Avatar: The Way of Water‘s to win at the box office, however, how big or small that is remains the question especially this early in the week. At the bare minimum, the 20th Century Studios/Disney movie should secure $60M-$65M for the 3-day and $90M-$95M for the 4-day. That’s on par with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which played into its second weekend in a year when Christmas fell on a Sunday. Avatar 2 made $16M yesterday, with a Sunday to Monday decline at -56% which was similar to Rogue One‘s -54%. Rogue One‘s first Monday was $17.5M. Some rivals won’t be surprised if Avatar 2 touches $100M over its four-day run. Through four days, Avatar 2 counts just over $150M.

Disney/20th Century Studio’s Avatar: The Way of Water is heading to a Monday around $16M which will take its four day total to $150.1M. Nothing to cry about as the Monday for the James Cameron directed movie bests the first Monday of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($11.1M).

EXCLUSIVE: Buttressing the $441.6M global opening of Avatar: The Way of Water this past weekend –the 11th best ever– is a curated promo partner campaign assembled by Disney; a lineup that reflects the eco-friendly and technologically advanced sensibilities of the James Cameron directed epic.

A24’s release of Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale had a strong holdover its second weekend out, grossing $168.5k on the same six screens in NYC and LA where it opened its first frame to the biggest per theater average of the year – beating the distributor’s March release of Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The Black Reel Awards has revealed its nominations for their 23rd Annual ceremony.

EXCLUSIVE: Following an extensive search that had a number of top directors chasing the job, sources tell Deadline that Oscar-nominated Minari director Lee Isaac Chung is in early talks to helm Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Twisters, the sequel to the blockbuster Twister. Warner Bros., which released the 1996 pic, will co-finance. Mark L. Smith penned the script, with Frank Marshall producing through his Kennedy/Marshall banner.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water began its international box office rollout today in such majors as Korea, France, Germany and Italy — and with early sneaks in China. One of the most anticipated movies of recent years, it’s dominating play.

And so it begins. Thirteen years after the first Avatar arrived in movie theaters, conquered and continued to conquer the global box office as the highest release of all-time with $2.9 billion worldwide, Avatar: The Way of Water, the sequel to the James Cameron directed 3x Oscar winning 3D sci-fi movie arrives with a global outlook of $525M in what is Disney’s widest global release ever at 52K screens, surpassing Avengers: Endgame.

Zoe Saldana is clarifying her comments regarding feeling “stuck” in movie franchises like Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Trek.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever co-writer/director Ryan Coogler joined Deadline’s Contenders LA3C panel to reflect on the impact of the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman and the sensitive display of Black motherhood. 

Focus Features’ Spoiler Alert opened on six screens (in NY, LA, San Francisco) to an estimated $85k, or $14k per theater, in a crowded arthouse market. Strong exit polls and word of mouth – 94% in the top two boxes – could help built out this movie, which will likely be more audience-focused than awards-buzz driven.

Hannah Beachler already has one Oscar thanks to her incredible world-building in Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther.” She may soon be in the running for a second after helping conceive the Mayan-influenced Talokan civilization in the follow-up, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” A process that involved countless hours of research and a year of prep work. READ MORE: ‘Wakanda Forever’: Ruth Carter on fashioning Namor’s undersea costumes and the new Black Panther armor [Interview] During our conversation, Beachler reveals just how much consideration went into imagining an underwater world influenced by classic Mayan architecture.