Sail on.
Avatar: The Way of Water has crossed the $2 billion mark at the global box office in a huge win for director James Cameron, who is the only filmmaker to have directed three films achieving the milestone.
Disney announced Sunday that the big-budget sequel will finish the weekend with a global total of $2.024 billion, the top gross of the pandemic era. It has earned $598 million domestically and $1.426 billion overseas, including a hefty $230 million from China.
The Way of Water is only the sixth film to clear the $2 billion threshold, not adjusted for inflation. Sometimes this week, the movie will climb up to No. 4 on the list of all-time grossing movies.
The first Avatar, released 13 years ago, remains the top-grossing film of all time with $2.9 billion in global ticket sales, including rereleases. Cameron’s Titanic is also part of the club at $2.19 billion.
When promoting The Way of Water, Cameron indicated it would ultimately need to earn in the $2 billion range to be considered a smash success. The sequel cost Disney and 20th Century north of $400 million to produce before marketing.
Cameron’s film has been a bright spot for the box office since its release in mid-December and has remained at the top of the chart.
In terms of other top global earners, Avengers: Endgame ranks No. 2 behind the first Avatar, earning $2.79 billion.
More to come.