© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Avatar' sequel sails to 2nd week atop the box office

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Trinity Bliss, as Tuk, in a scene from <em>Avatar: The Way of Water</em>.
20th Century Studios
/
AP
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Trinity Bliss, as Tuk, in a scene from Avatar: The Way of Water.

LOS ANGELES — Avatar: The Way of Water sailed to the top of the box office in its second weekend, bringing in what studios estimate Sunday will be a strong $56 million in North America — a sign that the sequel may stay afloat into the new year and approach the massive expectations that met its release.

James Cameron's digital extravaganza for 20th Century Studios has made $253.7 million domestically in its first 10 days of release, compared to $212.7 million in the same stretch for 2009's first Avatar, which would go on to become the highest-grossing film of all time.

While Cameron's films like the Avatar original and Titanic tend to have serious legs at the box office, sequels tend to open big and decline quickly, complicating guesses on where the film will end up. Its second-weekend drop-off from the $134 million it made in its first was not precipitous, given the way blockbusters open.

"This is James Cameron's first $100 million opener," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore "For this movie to have opened that big and only dropped 58%, it shows it has staying power."

Globally, The Way of Water is already the third highest-grossing film released in 2022, bringing in $855 million — putting it behind only Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion — and is a lock to surpass $1 billion.

It's also clear sailing for the film looking ahead, with more holiday time coming and no comparable competition until February, when Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is released.

Storms across the U.S. could keep people home, however.

"The biggest foe that Avatar is facing at this moment is the weather," Dergarabedian said.

Universal's animated Shrek spinoff, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, finished a distant second with $11.35 million in its opening weekend.

This image released by DreamWorks Animation shows the characters Kitty Softpaws, voiced by Salma Hayek Pinault, left, and Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, from the animated film "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" by director Joel Crawford.
/ AP
/
AP
This image released by DreamWorks Animation shows the characters Kitty Softpaws, voiced by Salma Hayek Pinault, left, and Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, from the animated film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish by director Joel Crawford.

Sony's biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody finished third with $5.3 million.

The weekend's biggest disappointment was Babylon, the epic of early Hollywood from La La Land director Damian Chazelle starring Brad Pitt and and Margo Robbie. In a nationwide release it brought in just $3.5 million, finishing fourth.

The tepid, $6.5 million opening weekend in October of director David O. Russell's Amsterdam, another film, set in a similar period, that combined prestige, scope, star power and a celebrated auteur, brought industry worries that audiences just weren't flocking to theaters for such films.

The concerns proved justified, as Babylon barely made more than half of the opening of Amsterdam.

The coming weeks in theaters, streaming showings and any nominations it may get could help Babylon rise above bomb status.

"I would say Babylon is a movie that isn't about the opening weekend," Dergarabedian said. "We'll have to see what it does in the coming weeks then into the new year, particularly if it gets more awards buzz."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. Avatar: The Way of Water, $56 million.

2. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, 11.35 million.

3. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, $5.3 million.

4. Babylon, $3.5 million.

5. Violent Night, $3.14 million.

6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, $3 million.

7. The Whale, $924,000.

8. The Menu, $617,000.

9. The Fabelmans, $550,000.

10. Strange World, $410,000.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content