“Avatar: Way of Water” hit $1 billion faster than blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jurassic World: Dominion.” PHOTO CREDIT: SEBASTIAN NG—SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET/GETTY IMAGES
Blumhouse’s doll-horror ‘M3gan’ is off to a strong start with an estimated $30.2 million debut, while ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ remains at No. 1 .
Universal Pictures’ “Megan” tells the story of a robot companion developed for a girl after her parents die in a car accident. The movie generated a lot of buzz, with dancing memes going viral, and its debut box office beating expectations. This low-budget horror film stars Allison Williams. Blumhouse and producer James Wan have teamed up to deliver the first Hollywood blockbuster of the new year and possibly a whole new series of high-concept horror films.
Audiences gave the film a PG-13 “B” on CinemaScore, but the modern, tech-heavy plot of this “Child’s Play”-like thriller drew even more attention. It received rave reviews, with a 94% freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also grossed $10 million internationally.
While “Megan” primarily appeals to audiences in 2D, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” remains the main force on the big screen. The three-hour 3D sequel has been the No. 1 box office in the U.S. and Canada for four consecutive weeks, grossing $45 million in a single week in both places.
At present, Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster has a domestic box office of more than 500 million U.S. dollars and a global box office of 1.7 billion U.S. dollars. After dominating an otherwise mediocre holiday season at the box office, “Avatar: Way of Water” is closing in on the first installment; 2009’s “Avatar” grossed $50.3 million in its fourth weekend. Regardless of inflation, “Avatar: The Way of Water” has become the seventh highest-grossing film in global film history, especially thanks to its performance in overseas markets. The film’s $1.2 billion international take is more than any film released since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic.
“Megan” is the only new film to hit wide-scale releases, but “A Man Called Otto,” a Sony Pictures production starring Tom Hanks, opened in four theaters. After its theatrical premiere, it began showing in 637 theaters. The film, based on the Swedish film “A Man Called Ove,” has already grossed a respectable $4.2 million before opening nationwide on Jan. 6.
The third-highest-grossing film was “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” with $13.1 million in its third week. The sequel to the animated film from Universal Pictures grossed $87.7 million in three weeks and $109.7 million internationally.
While many awards contenders have struggled at the box office in recent months, Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale has been an exception. The independent film from A24, starring Brendan Fraser, took in $1.5 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its $8.6 million total to No. 7. The film, which cost around $3 million to make, has paid off handsomely.
Comscore’s estimates for U.S. and Canadian theaters Jan. 6-Jan. 8 are as follows.
1. “Avatar: Way of Water,” $45 million.
2. “Meghan,” $30.2 million.
3. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $13.1 million.
4. “A Man Called Otto,” $4.2 million.
5. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” $4 million.
6. “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” $2.4 million.
7. “Whale,” $1.5 million.
8. “Babylon,” $1.4 million.
9. “Violent Night,” $740,000.
10. “The Menu,” $713,000. (Fortune Chinese website)
Translated by: Liu Jinlong
Reviewer: Wang Hao