Avatar: The Way of Water is expected to take a strong opening in India at the box office. The film has sold tickets worth ₹ 20 crore per advance booking on the opening day across the country. Only four films have surpassed this number this year – KGF Chapter 2, RRR, Brahmastra Part One Shiva and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. According to trade sources, the film has earned just over ₹ 20 crore on advance booking across India till Thursday evening. This number is among the top five advance booking collections in India this year, but far behind the mark set by KGF Chapter 2 (₹80 crore), which posted the highest ever advance booking in India.
While Avatar 2 sold fewer tickets than some of the films below it on the highest advance sales list, it received rather higher average ticket prices. This is due to the fact that the film has a wide release in 3D and IMAX screens. In some cities, ticket prices for certain IMAX shows are as high as ₹2500-3000. Interestingly, many of these shows are sold out, even by Sunday.
James Cameron’s film is expected to collect ₹40-50 crore at the Indian box office on Friday, a solid opening for any Hollywood film. In fact, very few Indian films have managed this number this year (only KGF 2 and RRR, in fact). Globally too, the film is expected to earn somewhere around $600 million in its opening weekend, making it one of the highest-grossing films of all time if it maintains its good momentum over the weekend.
The fact that Avatar 2 is generating mostly positive reviews should help good word of mouth, assuming audiences like it as much as critics. This will give it the much needed legs to rule the box office for the rest of the year. Avatar: The Way of Water is the sequel to the 2009 blockbuster Avatar, the highest-grossing film of all time. It might be hard for the sequel to top that record (nearly $3 billion worldwide), but it’s expected to leave a solid impression at the global box office.
