Avatar: The Way To Water has now become the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time, just within six weeks of its release. By doing so, the film has also crossed the USD 2 billion figure at the box office, becoming James Cameron’s third film to do so after Titanic and the original Avatar.
Globally, Avatar 2 remains in the sixth position with Avengers Infinity War at fifth and Star Wars: The Force Awakens in fourth place. Released in 2009, Avatar remains the biggest movie of all time with a worldwide gross of USD 2.9 billion. Avengers: Endgame is close behind in second place with collections of USD 2.79 billion, while Titanic takes the third spot with a worldwide gross of USD 2.19 billion.
#JamesCameron reaches another milestone. Only filmmaker to have 3 films earn 2 Billion US dollars at box office world wide.
Titanic (1997): U$ 2.194 billion.
Avatar (2009): U$ 2.923 billion.
Avatar 2 (2022): U$ 2.024 billion.#AvatarTheWayOfWater #AvatarTheWayOfTheWater #Avatar pic.twitter.com/hVo2IpAs6l— KLAPBOARD (@klapboardpost) January 23, 2023
According to Variety, Avatar: The Way of Water has generated USD 598 million at the domestic box office and USD 1.4 billion internationally. In the rest of the world, the standout markets are China with USD 229 million, France at USD 129 million, Germany at USD 117 million, Korea at USD 96 million and the United Kingdom at USD 81 million.
The film stars Zoe Saldaña, Kate Winslet, Sam Worthington, and Sigourney Weaver in lead roles. The plot follows the characters of Jake Sully (Worthington) and Neytiri (Saldaña) as they try to keep their family together while travelling across the vast reaches of Pandora and seeking refuge with the Metkayina clan.
How are the highest-grossing movies of all time calculated?
The highest-grossing movies are calculated by adding up the total box office revenue earned by a film from the day of its release till the end of its theatrical run. Box office revenue includes the money generated from ticket sales, as well as any additional revenue streams such as merchandise sales, DVD/Blu-ray rights and partnerships with streaming platforms. As the worldwide box office gross is considered while calculating this figure, the total revenue earned by the film in ALL countries is taken into account.
In all of history, only a handful of films have managed to rake in more than USD 2 billion at the global box office. In fact, there are just six of them. So, from Avatar to Avatar 2, let’s take a look at the box-office rankings of those films that have managed to accomplish this impressive feat.
(Hero and feature image credits: Courtesy Instagram/ Avatar: The Way Of Water and Avengers Endgame)
This story first appeared here.
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1 /6
Though it has been 12 years since Avatar first hit the theatres, it has managed to maintain its position as the highest-grossing movie of all time. Directed by James Cameron, the plot of the movie is set in the mid-22nd century and focuses on humans colonising the moon of Pandora to mine unobtainium. Their actions have a negative effect on the local Na’vi tribe, leading to both conflict and more interestingly, courtship.
When released, the film crossed the USD 1 billion mark on the 19th day of its international release, making it the first film to reach this milestone in only 19 days. After 41 days of its release, Avatar surpassed Titanic‘s worldwide gross to become the highest-grossing film of all time. A 2022 re-release helped cement its position at the top of the box-office rankings.
Box office gross: USD 2.934 billion
Release date: 18th December 2009
IMDb rating: 7.9
(Image credits: Courtesy IMDb/Avatar)
2 /6
Avengers: Endgame made a significant impact on pop culture while simultaneously becoming the second highest-grossing movie of all time. The Marvel Studios’ film had an unbelievable box office run, making USD 600 million more than what James Cameron’s Titanic did at the box office.
Avengers: Endgame also marked the end of MCU’s Infinity Saga, which was an 11-year journey that started with Iron Man in 2008. The 22nd movie in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe focused on the final showdown between our favourite superheroes and Thanos and took only five days to cross the USD 1 billion mark at the global box office.
Box office gross: USD 2.79 billion
Release date: 22 April 2019
IMDb rating: 8.4
(Image credits: Courtesy IMDb/Avengers: Endgame)
3 /6
In 1997, Titanic was the most expensive film ever produced and was predicted to be an epic disaster. However, not only did the film prove its detractors wrong, it garnered critical acclaim, won multiple Oscars (including Best Picture) and of course, smashed all box office records. After its release, it stayed in the number one spot for 15 consecutive weeks, a record that’s yet to be beaten. It wasn’t too long after its release that it also become the highest-grossing film of all time, a record it would hold on to till 2010.
Box office gross: USD 2.18 billion
Release date: 19 December 1997
IMDb rating: 7.9
(Image credits: Courtesy IMDb/Titanic)
4 /6
Directed by J. J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set thirty years after Return of the Jedi. The Force Awakens sees a new threat to the galaxy start rising, the likes of which the universe has not seen before. Now, it’s up to Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, to join forces with Han Solo and Chewbacca to save the universe and restore peace.
Box office gross: USD 2.06 billion
Release date: 14 December 2015
IMDb rating: 7.9
(Image credits: Courtesy IMDb/ Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
5 /6
Not surprisingly, another Marvel Cinematic Universe film finds a mention in the list of highest-grossing films of all time. When it was first released, Avengers: Infinity War outperformed every MCU film at the box office and went on to collect USD 2.04 billion worldwide.
In the film, the Avengers must stop Thanos, an intergalactic warlord, from getting his hands on all of the infinity stones. However, Thanos is prepared to go to any lengths to carry out his diabolical plan. The film’s legacy will always be how it stunned audiences and left them wondering about what’s to come in the future.
Box office gross: USD 2.04
Release date: 23 April 2018
IMDb rating: 8.4
(Image credits: Courtesy IMDb/ Avengers: Infinity War)
6 /6
Last, but certainly not least, we have Avatar: The Way To Water, which has now become the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time. What’s so incredible about this film’s success is the fact that it is director James Cameron’s THIRD film to cross the USD 2 billion mark at the global box office.
In Avatar 2, Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their home.
Box office gross: USD 2.02
Release date: 16 December 2022
IMDb rating: 7.8
(Image credit: Courtesy IMDb/ Avatar: The Way To Water)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Avatar: The Way Of Water recently crossed the USD 2 billion mark at the global box office, just six weeks after its release.
Answer: Avatar, released in 2009, is the highest-grossing film of all time.
Answer: Yes, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has collected USD 2.07 billion at the global box office.
Answer: Avengers: Endgame made USD 2.7 billion at the global box office.
