Avatar: The Way of Wateris finally bringing theAvatarfranchise back into the mainstream consciousness after a 13-year hiatus. If current reports hold, it’ll be doing it in an even more spectacular fashion than what was already expected, with its current runtime clocking in at 190 minutes.
Avatar: The Way of Wateris the long-awaited sequel to James Cameron’sAvatar,which was released in 2009 and went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time.Avatarwas recently re-released in theatersand did phenomenally globally, proving the franchise still has what it takes to bring in viewers. Cameron waited on making the sequel, however, in order to ensure that the technology needed to bring Pandora’s oceans to life was properly developed.
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According toDeadline,Avatar: The Way of Wateris currently running at 3 hours and 10 minutes. Though the final runtime may end up being shorter, Cameron has publicly stated that the film will be a long one. Of course, there’s always the possibility that Disney might cut out some scenes and insist on a shorter runtime and then rerelease the film with the cut scenes re-inserted. ThoughAvatar: The Way of Wateris projected to earn lessthan its predecessor at the box office, it is still predicted to earn $650 million at the box office. While this number is still pretty impressive,Avatarearned $772 million at the domestic box office.
The drop in performance is to be expected sinceAvatarwas a first in many ways and a theatrical experience. Its story was not considered the most memorable, however, to the point that many have stated thattheAvatarsequels need to have more compelling storiesif the franchise is to continue. Dethroning the biggest box office film of all time would always be a tall task, and since the originalAvatarwasn’t originally beloved, it became less likely that the same amount of people would be drawn in for a sequel.
NewAvatar: The Way of Waterfootagehas promised a spectacular visual feast. Clearly, waiting for the right technology to develop has paid off. Pandora is being brought to life in an unprecedented fashion and Cameron, a visionary in many ways, has already succeeded in crafting a visual spectacle. What remains to be seen, however, is if the film’s story will be up to snuff.
Avatar: The Way of Waterhits theaters on July 31, 2025.
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