Avatar 2 earns $434.5 million globally after director James Cameron said it needs to earn $2 billion

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Avatar: The Way Of Water earned $434.5 million during its global debut, according to studio estimates on Sunday, after its director James Cameron said it needs to earn $2 billion to break even.The sequel earned $134 million from North American theaters and $300.5 million internationally for a $434.5 million global debut.It tied with 'The Batman' as the fourth highest domestic debut of the year, behind 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' ($187.4 million May), 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' ($181 million in November) and 'Thor: Love and Thunder' ($144.2 million in July).

Big splash: Avatar: The Way Of Water earned $434.5 million during its global debut, according to studio estimates on Sunday, after its director James Cameron said it needs to earn $2 billion to break evenExpectations were enormous for 'Avatar 2,' which carried a reported price tag of over $350 million, the pressure of following up the highest grossing film of all time (thanks in part to various re-releases) over a decade later and the daunting task of propping up an exhibition business that´s still far from normal.

Everything 'Avatar' is oversized, though: the Na´vi characters, the runtime (a staggering three hours and 12 minutes), the technical advancements and the release strategy from 20th Century Studios and The Walt Disney Co.

Going into the weekend many were expecting a domestic debut of at least $150 million. Some even said $175 or higher, but tracking has also not been as reliable a metric during the pandemic.Disney saw early that 'The Way of Water' was going to be a different kind of beast when they looked at pre-sales.