1 min read

Can Avatar save the box office? 🎥

All eyes on Avatar: The Way of the Water to save a struggling movie industry. But despite a bumper opening weekend the big screen behemoth missed expectations. And not everyone’s an Avatard. Streaming services have upped the ante with holiday viewing. Is it enough to bring Xmas cheer?
Published on
December 20, 2022

Ka-ching! 🤑 Despite a star-studded cast, movie-goers would be forgiven for recognising only non-CGI Sigourney Weaver in box office behemoth Avatar: The Way of the Water. Hasn’t stopped die-hard Avatards filling opening weekend seats to the tune of US$134 million in the US and US$435 million globally, to become the second highest world-wide opening of all time. While that cash stash could pay for all your weird movie merch and next year’s Halloween makeup, it’s shy of US$150 million expectations in the US and a nudge away from the 2009 Avatar total box office of US$2.9 billion.

Could Disney (DIS) green light a third IMAX 3D sequel for James Cameron, despite tension over his love of 3-hour-plus run times? 🚦 It might not be just Kate Winslet holding a record-breaking breath, with eyes on Cameron to save a struggling box office that saw the second-largest cinema chain in the US, Regal, file for bankruptcy in September.

But not everyone’s a fan. Some critics were not bro-ing out over the ‘arrogant’ ‘expensive cartoon’ with a ‘mess’ of a story. And while our government paid out $140 million in subsidies to prop up Aotearoa’s expected film industry earnings of $3.5 billion annually, New Zealand’s losing movie producers while decisions stall on studio tax rebates, with Wētā FX flagging we’re losing our advantage. 🚩

Ho ho ho! 🔔 While Avatar doesn’t deliver candy-coated Christmas flavour, there’s still plenty to keep yuletide viewing minty fresh - or certified fresh if you’re Marvel’s Christmas gift shenanigans movie, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, streaming on Disney+. Netflix (NFLX) may be hoping to fill coffers more than stockings with Lindsay Lohan’s sassy comeback, Falling for Christmas. Apple TV’s (AAPL) all-singing, all-dancing Dickensian Christmas ghostly Spirited, starring Will Ferrall and Ryan Renolds, has (many!) musical numbers written by La La Land songwriters. 🎶 And for grown-up Home Aloners, Universal’s (CMCSA) Violent Night brings an unlikely hero. 🎅

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