James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water' gets China release
James Cameron's much-awaited offering Avatar: The Way of Water is inching closer to its release. Weeks before the film hits the cinema halls worldwide, the second installment of the Avatar franchise has bagged the coveted China release. Disney and 20th Century Studios, the banners backing the Cameron film, confirmed the film's release at the Chinese box office late Tuesday. Here's why it's important.
Why does this story matter?
China caters to the largest film audience in the world; it surpassed the United States of America in 2021 to become the largest film market. Therefore, it is touted as the most important box office for worldwide cinema, especially in Hollywood. Avatar 2 is one of the few Hollywood movies which have received a release at the Chinese box office since the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Avatar: The way of Water’ to release on December 16
Starring actors Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana as Jake Sully and Neytiri, respectively, Avatar 2 will be released worldwide, including in the Middle Kingdom, on December 16. The film will also release on the same day in American as well as Indian theaters. Its prequel was released in December 2009. It went on to collect $2.9B at the global box office.
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Third installment will release by 2026
While the much-awaited second film in the franchise will return to screens after 13 years, the wait is going to be shorter going forward. While fans had to wait for over a decade for the second installment, the third part, Avatar: The Tulkun Rider is slated for a 2026 release. More movies are in the pipeline after the third one.
Pre-sales in India began on Tuesday
Meanwhile, the advance booking for Avatar: The Way of Water began in India on Tuesday. According to reports, the first-day first show of Avatar 2 will be held at midnight on December 16. However, these special shows would only be available at select multiplexes. Apart from English, the film will also release in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages in India.
