For those unaware, Avatar is getting a re-release in China this week. Set to open in theaters in the Middle Kingdom on Friday, March 12, 2021, the film is already off to a prosperous start before even opening. Pre-sales of tickets have amassed roughly $1.35 million USD, closing the gap between it and Avengers: Endgame significantly.
Oel ngati kameie, China! We're excited to bring Avatar back to your big screens this weekend. pic.twitter.com/aKxje8SRft
— James Cameron (@JimCameron) March 11, 2021
Before 2019, Avatar held the record for being the highest-grossing film in cinema history. Bringing in roughly $2.7 billion through its initial run and re-release, its record was uncontested for a decade until Marvel started to break records with each film. It would eventually lose its crown to Endgame in 2019, but not by much. Around $7.8 million separates the two films.
China’s box-office wasn’t as prominent in 2009 thanks to restrictions the country put on foreign films. Even with those restrictions, the film was able to bring in about $204 million from the country. With a lot of those restrictions now gone, the Chinese theater industry has boomed over the last decade and led the country to become the most lucrative box-office in the world. With that in mind, it’s not hard to see how Avatar might actually reclaim its crown and possibly even break $3 billion in total gross. I’m sure Disney is just thrilled.
Source: Deadline
