Disney and 20th Century Studios have announced that Avatar: The Way of Water will receive a coveted release in China. In what can only be considered a massive win for the sequel, it will drop in the Middle Kingdom on December 16, the same day the movie premieres in North American theaters.
Few movies have been released in China since the pandemic, robbing many blockbusters of the opportunity to earn record-breaking numbers at the global box office. There are a number of reasons for that, though they're primarily political.
In Avatar: The Way of Water's case, it's essential that it make as much money as possible. As THR (via SFFGazette.com) reveals, the sequel is one of the most expensive movies ever made with a budget that falls somewhere in the range of $350 million - $400 million.
Oh, and that's just the production budget, meaning it doesn't take marketing costs into account.
Avatar, which would ultimately gross $2.92 billion worldwide, ended up making a total of $261.8 million in China during its initial run and through multiple re-releases. Numbers like that will be incredibly important to the sequel's success, and its arrival in that country on the same day as the rest of the world will limit any potential damage caused by piracy.
The trade notes that talks for Avatar: The Way of Water to play in China have been taking place for weeks, though the news breaking two days after Bob Iger's return as CEO is certainly fortuitous timing for him.
With Avatar: The Way of Water, the franchise reaches new heights as James Cameron transports audiences back to the magnificent world of Pandora in a spectacular and stirring action-packed adventure.
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, the sequel begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Avatar: The Way of Water splashes down in theaters worldwide on December 16.