Avatar 2 Needs A Big Second Weekend To Survive, But Will Theaters Be Open?
Avatar 2 could be seeing a huge weekend, though many of the theaters in the states could be closed because of horrible weather conditions.
The holiday season is a time for family, food, and blockbuster movies that have waited patiently for their time to shine. One of the most trafficked weekends of the year, films like Avatar 2 are facing abysmal box office performances as the weather throughout the Midwest and beyond chills citizens to the bone, closing down theaters in its wake. Although for the moment, Avatar: The Way of Water is leading the box office charge in $20 million in domestic sales as of early Friday, the weather may hold the feature back from nailing its 11-day box office projection of $280.7 million.
The first two weeks for any film are crucial, and Avatar 2 is no different. The James Cameron-directed sequel, that’s been more than a decade in the making, cost the studio $350-$460 million to create, and with the film going into its second theatrical weekend, the freezing temperatures may chill its domestic box office ascent. But it’s still sinking the competition as other features like the heart-melting Universal and DreamWorks Animation sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody are stalling behind Avatar 2, bringing in $24.1 million and $9 million, respectively.
According to Deadline, Winter Storm Elliott has caused the closure of 80 cinemas across the midwest as of Friday, with record-breaking low temperatures and many without power. If you’re living in Cleveland, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Cincinnati, or Portland, OR, there’s a good chance that your favorite theater will be or is already shut down. For Avatar 2 and other films whose success is riding on those Christmas crowds, the low attendance rates could really toss a wrench into sales quotas.
But all hope is not lost for James Cameron and his star-studded feature, as for the most part, it’s keeping up steam, with a worldwide box office earning now over $600 million. For Cameron and the rest of the creative team, the numbers are pointing towards the further telling of the creatures who call Pandora home as the filmmaker recently revealed that Avatar 3 and Avatar 4 will be in the works should Avatar 2 be a success. In fact, the scripts for the next two films are already finished, so fans can expect a speedy process should the studio renew Cameron’s contract.
While it’s hit some road bumps along the way, fans, for the most part, are responding positively to Avatar 2. This time around, audiences are taken back into the dazzling world of Pandora as they follow Jake Sully and Neytiri’s family as they fight to hold it all together. With new enemies looming and mankind’s constant threat, the duo will stop at nothing to protect those who they love.
As if the original film wasn’t completely packed with A-list talent, Avatar 2 somehow stepped up its game, even more, landing one of the best cast lists we’ve ever seen. If you brave the temperatures and head to the theater this weekend, you can expect to hear the voices and see a call sheet that includes names like Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, and Edie Falco. While the weather outside may be frightful, theaters everywhere have some excellent options for your Christmas weekend viewing.
