I still cannot believe it’s been a full decade since we were introduced to the shimmering world of Pandora, an immersive paradise in the depths of space.
Delighting romance and sci-fi fans alike, Avatar was more of a visual experience than a movie and I will completely admit I was blown away.
It was 2009 and I’d never seen anything on the cinema screen quite like it. The graphics were mesmerising, and completely enveloped you in the extraterrestrial narrative. By the end, I genuinely longed to visit the habitable moon and sleep high up in the trees with the tall blue aliens.
And I was far from the only one who was left captivated by James Cameron’s otherworldly creation. With a cumulative $2,789,958,507 – as per IMDb – Avatar quickly became the highest-grossing film of its time; smashing several box office records.
Indeed, the spectacular space adventure was only knocked from the top spot in 2019, when the generation defining Avengers: Endgame soared ahead with a new record of $2.79 billion.
With Avatar 2 on the horizon – well, two Christmases away – talk has turned to what we can expect next from Marine turned intergalactic eco-warrior Jake Sully (Sam Worthington).
Fans are eager to know what Cameron, 65, has up his sleeve to get his revenge and frog leap straight over Avengers: Endgame’s caped back.
Speaking with USA Today, the seasoned director revealed he is confident the re-release of Avatar ahead of its sequel will push it past Endgame at the box office and reclaim its number one spot.
According to Cameron:
I think it’s a certainty, but let’s give ‘Endgame’ their moment and let’s celebrate that people are going to the movie theater.
Despite the competition between them, there is no hard feelings, with Cameron admitting he ‘really enjoyed’ the superhero blockbuster.
Cameron said:
I don’t want to sound snarky after I took the high road (by offering congratulations).
But they beat us by one quarter of a percent. I did the math in my head while driving in this morning. I think accountants call that a rounding error.
Cameron even went as far as to describe the success of Endgame as having given him hope for the future of cinemagoing audiences:
I saw it as a really good sign. I was really concerned with all the new streaming services and the different ways people can consume movies right now that the theatergoing experience might have been eroded to the point that a new Avatar film – even if it were better than the first one, and better received – could never achieve the same box-office levels.
Now at least we know such a thing is still possible at the movie theater. This gives me heart to go forward.
Let the friendly competition begin…
Avatar 2 will be released in UK cinemas from December 17, 2021.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.