Chinese theaters have started showing Avatar: The Way of Water.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, China has been intensifying its control of American films.
Many blockbuster movies, including every MCU film released in 2019, have avoided the area as a result, losing out on significant potential earnings.
According to Variety, James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water, the long-awaited sequel to 2009's mega hit Avatar, will be one of the few American productions to play in China during the epidemic.
On the same day that it debuts in the United States and many other countries around the world (December 16), the film will also open in that region.
The original was a big financial success, in no little part due to its IMAX release.
There is little doubt that Avatar: The Way of Water will be a huge financial success when it is released in 2022.
One thing that helps is that it is the long-awaited sequel to the picture that made the most money of all time.
In addition, early projections show that it will have an opening weekend that is twice as successful as the debut of the first Avatar in 2009.
While Avatar: The Way of Water's prospects are bright, the film will need to perform exceptionally well at the box office if it is to generate a profit.
The epic science fiction project has a price tag of around $400 million, making it one of the most costly films of all time; this does not include the massive publicity and advertising costs that a picture of this magnitude would incur.
According to the general rule of thumb for estimating a film's entire cost, the reported budget must be doubled, which in this case would bring the film's initial cost to roughly $1 billion.
Cameron has stated that the next Avatar sequel must become the "third or fourth highest-grossing film in history" to be profitable.
Although the first Avatar did well at the domestic box office, it has since been surpassed by other films like Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens, Avengers: Endgame, and last year's smash hit Spider-Man: No Way Home; the only reason it remains on top is the success it had overseas, particularly in China.
The territory's decision to allow Avatar: The Way of Water in is a major victory for the film, as China is a large market for American tentpole blockbusters.
It's possible that this boost will be the only thing standing between the sequel and box office ruination, and it could help the film become the highest-grossing American film of 2022, giving it an edge over huge tentpoles without Chinese releases like Top Gun: Maverick and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
