James Cameron’s billion-dollar sequel has returned to theaters but failed to make a major splash, earning only $3.2 million in its latest re-release.
It’s unusual for a James Cameron film to open this quietly. The new theatrical run, handled by 20th Century Studios and parent company Walt Disney, grossed $3.2 million across 2,140 North American theaters over the three-day weekend.
Compared with other Disney re-releases of similar age, the results were notably weaker. Box office analyst Luiz Fernando recalled that the 2022 4K re-release of the original Avatar debuted with $10.5 million, while Spider-Man: No Way Home and Avengers: Endgame earned $5.4 million and $6.1 million respectively in their own returns to theaters.
Despite the muted reception, The Way of Water remains a global powerhouse. It continues to hold the title of the third highest-grossing film in history, behind Avatar and Avengers: Endgame, while outperforming recent international hits such as Ne Zha 2. Domestically, however, the film is unlikely to surpass the $700 million milestone, sitting around $687 million to date.
Overseas, the film performed slightly better, earning $6.8 million over the weekend for a combined $10 million global total, including $2.2 million from IMAX screenings. This brings its lifetime worldwide gross to $2.33 billion, with IMAX contributing $257.8 million.
The re-release serves as a strategic lead-up to the upcoming third installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, which recently debuted its first trailer.
