James Cameron, the director of Avatar, predicts that the 2009 movie will again beat out Avengers: Endgame at the box office. Although the release of the much-anticipated sequel, Avatar 2, is still nearly two years away, it certainly hasn't stopped the excitement and press leading up to its big screen debut nearly 12 years after the first Avatar was released. Over a decade later shouldn't be considered too radical, especially considering the original Avatar took 15 years to make thanks to all of the concepts Cameron had and the necessity of having access to high-performance CG technology.
Much of the cast information has been released for the upcoming sequel - Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver are all set to return. Avatar 2 is also welcoming big timers like Kate Winslet, Vin Diesel, and Edie Falco to the cast as well. The upcoming sequel to Avatar is said to take place primarily underwater and Cameron has reportedly "cracked the code" in terms of the technology needed in order to film all of the beautiful underwater sequences with 3D and CGI motion capture tech and cameras. Further, Cameron continues to have faith in the franchise he launched more than a decade ago, even in terms of the first film's box office.
In an interview with USA Today, Cameron said, "I think it’s a certainty," that Avatar will eventually reach new heights at the box office through an inevitable re-release of the 2009 movie and beat out Marvel. Endgame just slightly shoved past Avatar's numbers when it grossed $2.97 million earlier this year. Cameron stated he does consider the success of Endgame a great sign in terms of people still actually going to the movies, as it shows the theater-going experience hasn't "eroded" in the past decade: "But let’s give Endgame their moment and let’s celebrate that people are going to the movie theater."
Of course, one can't have a chat with Cameron without the idea of healthy competition coming into play. Even though he gave full congratulations to Marvel and their win at the box office with Endgame earlier this year, he also couldn't help but point out Avatar's box office numbers were beat by only "one quarter of a percent," which really isn't much as it's such a small fraction of the big number, and Cameron also boasted "accountants call that a rounding error."
There is something to be said for a little healthy competition between some of the biggest movies of our time. Really though, who's to say what the numbers will be like for Avatar 2 and its sequels as the sequel is still nearly two years away and so much can change in terms of the cinematic landscape and how and what people are going to the movies to see. Something that is predictable is if Cameron has anything to do with it, Avatar 2 and the rest of its sequels will find great success, if only because the wait finally being over will bring out some heartfelt cheers.
Source: USA Today
