• The Avatar sequel finally came out last week
  • Avatar: The Way of Water had a big opening weekend
  • But did it break records? Or become a billion-dollar movie?

The premiere has finally arrived for the long-awaited sequel to AvatarAvatar: The Way of Water is the follow-up to the 2009 box office hit about the "Na'vi" people.

Fans waited years for this one, and expectations were high. In the lead-up to the movie, much was made about its massive budget and how much it'd need to earn back in theatres.

The Avatar sequel cost an estimate of around $400 million to make. Director James Cameron told GQ they need to earn $2 billion just to break even!

Avatar 2: NOT a billion-dollar movie (just yet)

Well, Avatar 2 is now through its opening week. It's not quite a billion-dollar movie yet, but... it did make an impressive $434.5 million globally. Just over $130 million came from its domestic premiere in the US.

So, some big numbers for the Avatar sequel. But certainly not record-breaking – or even the best of the year. 

Also interesting:

The opening for The Way of Water trailed behind Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Thor sequels released in 2022.

Time will tell if Avatar: The Way of Water eventually makes it to the billion-dollar movie list – or the exclusive few to top 2 billion.

See more in the video above!