With $889m in the can worldwide, Avatar: The Way of Water is closing in fast on the billion-dollar return it needs just to break even. 2009's Avatar remains the undisputed king of the box office, and the killing it made in China made it a global juggernaut. According to Comic Book Resources, though, The Way of Water is falling far short of its projected returns in China.
James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water has been under immense scrutiny, particularly where its box office performance is concerned. It did what few other Hollywood films have been able to do in recent years and secured a release in China, where, despite early projections, the film is not performing well.
According to ticketing company Maoyan, the film has thus far earned ¥726 million, equating to roughly $100 million, after nearly two weeks in theaters. This is far below the initial projections, which estimated the Avatar sequel would earn ¥2.5 billion, or roughly $357 million in China over the course of its run. This was later reduced to $143 million by Maoyan, shortly after The Way of Water's release.
