Avatar: The Way Of Water Has Made Over $1 Billion From 3D Screenings

My condolences to anyone who dared to bet against James Cameron, because things clearly aren't going their way. Allow me to be the millionth person to state the obvious: with "Avatar: The Way of Water," the blockbuster filmmaker has yet another hit on his hands. Five weeks into its theatrical run, the film has officially surpassed "Spider-Man: No Way Home" as the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time, with a gross of $1.928 billion globally (via Variety). To think — just a few weeks ago, experts were debating whether or not this film would manage to break even and actually garner a profit.

It was a fair question of course: with a rumored budget of $460 million, "The Way of Water" was a very special case. If you account for the costs of marketing and distribution, the film still wasn't profitable after crossing the $1 billion mark. But that number has now been left in the dust, with the "Avatar" sequel swimming far beyond the estimated $1.4 billion it needed to break even. So what accounts for this massive success? The long-awaited return to Pandora? The promise of some very expensive blockbuster spectacle? The allure of James Cameron's name? Strong word-of-mouth? Or just the promise of time spent with huge, lovable space whales? 

The answer is all of the above, with a little help from the world of accessorizing: it turns out that moviegoers across the world are pretty pumped to once again don some RealD branded 3D glasses.

According to data from Comscore and the 3D format company RealD, a majority of the ticket revenue for "Avatar: The Way of Water" has come from 3D screenings of the film. The Wrap reports that a whopping 61% of "Avatar: The Way of Water" tickets sold worldwide have been for 3D screenings: that accounts for $1.16 billion of the $1.928 billion total. Who would've thought that 3D would make a comeback? Well, besides James Cameron, of course.

The Wrap reached out to RealD for a comment, and VP of sales and marketing, Sean Spencer, expressed plenty of optimism for a resurgence in 3D sales throughout 2023:

"'Avatar: The Way of Water' reminded the industry just how amazing 3D can look and that moviegoers still enjoy the format and will pay the premium for a high-quality 3D experience. Just like the original 'Avatar' did when it was released, this film has reignited interest in the format and RealD is continually speaking with studios and filmmakers about their upcoming titles and the new creative possibilities that can be unlocked and offered to consumers."

The success of the first "Avatar" inspired a wave of 3D filmmaking in the early 2010s. But there's a huge difference between this sequel and the 3D titles that emerged in the aftermath of "Avatar": Cameron incorporates the format into every single stage of the filmmaking process. Elsewhere, it's become the norm for 3D to be added during the post-production stage. And that difference is critical.

A big factor in the film's favor is the overseas release; only a handful of Hollywood movies have been released in China since the pandemic began, "Avatar: The Way of Water" included. The $223 million gross from the Chinese box office is huge all on its own, but it's notable that 99% of that has come from 3D sales. But that's not to say that 3D screenings are guaranteed for success: last year, when "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" opened to $187 million domestic and $449 million worldwide, the 3D percentages were much lower, at just 9% domestic and 11% international. The difference is all in the filmmaking.

"In the "Avatar" films, 3D is not just about what's popping out of the frame," /Film's Tyler Llewyn Taing recently wrote in a piece exploring the film's use of 3D. "It's more concerned with giving each environment a sense of depth and scale. 'The Way of Water' is over 3 hours long, but Cameron uses that screen time to fully immerse his audience into the beautiful landscapes of Pandora. There are times when it feels like a nature documentary, but as indulgent as that is, it serves as a brilliant demonstration of the capabilities of 3D."

This is why Cameron has been encouraging audiences to see "The Way of Water" on the big screen and in 3D. And perhaps because they recall how it worked so well the first time, moviegoers have been listening.