The re-release of ‘Avatar’ seems to have cemented the much-debated future of its sequel

The theatrical re-release of James Cameron’s Avatar has recently made significant strides at the box office, proving that the world of Pandora still enthralls fans 13 years later. And these results are significant as it predicts the future of the upcoming sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.

In a report made by Variety, Avatar earned an extra $10 million dollars during its re-release in North America and $20.5 million internationally. Avatar was ranked third at the box office, just behind newer releases such as Don’t Worry Darling and The Woman King. Avatar earned more than the recent Spider-Man: No Way Home theatrical re-release, which only earned $5.4 million during the Labor Day weekend.

Comscore’s senior media analyst, Paul Dergarabedia, told Variety that people rewatching Avatar on the IMAX screens reminds them of how stunning Pandora was, in comparison to watching the 13-year-old film at home. He also said that if the re-release underperformed, it would be a sign of the sequel’s future performance once it releases in theaters at the end of the year.

“We’re talking about a film that’s 13 years old, which people can watch at home. The big draw is the Imax presentation. ‘Avatar’ is serving as a reminder of how cool the imagery of Pandora looks on the big screen.

“Had the re-release underperformed, that would be the first indicator that — uh oh — there may be a problem [for the sequel]. But this is very encouraging.”

Avatar is a science fiction film that was released in 2009. It follows the tale of Jake Sully, who was recruited to replace his twin brother in an intergalactic mission in Pandora. He’s given an ‘avatar’, a creature with the same bodily features as the natives on the planet, the Na’vi. The film grossed over $2.7 billion at the box office and received a high amount of praise from fans and critics. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 2010, such as Best Picture, and won only three.

Avatar: The Way of Water is the upcoming sequel, which will feature the return of Zoe Saldana as Neytiri and Sam Worthington as Jake Sully. The film will be out in theaters on Dec. 16, 2022.