Leading up to the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” there was an overwhelming doubt that the James Cameron-led sequel would live up to its predecessor. Although it didn’t take long for “Avatar” to shatter the box office, it had been 13 years since the director introduced audiences to the world of Pandora, so the sequel wasn’t a guaranteed success, or so we thought.
Fast forward a few months, and “The Way of Water” proved all the doubters wrong. The film showed that audiences desperately wanted more Pandora stories as it coasted through the box office, earning over $2 billion. As mentioned, that record-setting performance is only further solidified with the film’s home release, topping physical sales while becoming Disney’s best-selling digital release in the United States. By all means, “The Way of Water” has defied expectations, which is insane considering its predecessor is the highest-grossing movie ever. However, the sequel alone has solidified “Avatar” as the most significant portion of Disney’s acquisition of Fox, with the franchise practically printing money for the company.
Understandably, the success of “The Way of Water” immediately confirmed plenty more “Avatar” stories are on the way. Despite the ongoing strikes forcing Disney to delay the sequels, “Avatar 3” and “Avatar 4” have release dates of December 19, 2025, and December 21, 2029, respectively. Cameron also confirmed he has plans for “Avatar 6” and 7 if the fans demand them, ensuring that Pandora will captivate audiences on the big screen for the long run.
