Refresh for latest…: There was extra oomph at the international box office this weekend as Disney’s rerelease of 20th Century Studios’ Avatar grossed $20.5M from 50 offshore markets for a $30.5M global launch. The remastered 4K HDR version of the biggest movie ever was catnip to fans with No. 1s in several markets and, as designed, sets the table for James Cameron’s upcoming sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.
Meanwhile, the other major newcomer, Warner Bros/New Line’s Don’t Worry Darling, came in at $30M global with the majority of grosses from domestic. Internationally, the Olivia Wilde-directed pic made $10.8M in 61 overseas markets. It was No. 1 in the UK ($3.1M) and ultimately came in amid expectations, but in general saw some Friday-Saturday drops after the Harry Styles faithful were first in line.
Before we dig into the nuts and bolts of the newcomers, another sign that the romcom business is buoyant with the right mix of stars is evident in Universal/Working Title’s Ticket to Paradise. The Ol Parker-directed film is in its third weekend of early offshore rollout and continues to hum along, adding $11.1M this frame to reach a cume of $31M to date. It’s already running ahead of The Lost City by 8% well before domestic opens on October 21.
Now, turning back to Avatar, as we noted coming into the weekend, this release is icing on the cake for the globe’s biggest grosser of all time. It’s
also good news for exhibition during what has been a prolonged fallow period, and it’s a means to promote Way of Water, particularly with a focus on 3D.
Cameron himself posted a message on Twitter this weekend talking up the remaster and the surprises.
It’s time to see #Avatar the way it was meant to be seen. Experience it back in theaters now with a special surprise 👀
Get tickets now: https://t.co/DBwU6bEHeB pic.twitter.com/C1NPYpDyuO
— Avatar (@officialavatar) September 23, 2022
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