LOS ANGELES, Dec 27 ― Pulling in an estimated US$90 million (RM398 million), Avatar: The Way of Water has blown away the competition even as a massive storm kept millions at home over the four-day Christmas weekend, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said yesterday.
The James Cameron sci-fi sequel has now earned 20th Century US$287.7 million domestically, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2022.
But while analysts said it had exceeded expectations on a storm-depressed weekend, three new releases produced far more modest returns.
Universal's family-oriented Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, a computer-animated spin-off of the Shrek franchise, took in US$17.5 million for the Friday-through-Monday period.
Sony's biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody earned just US$6.8 million. English actress Naomi Ackie portrays the late superstar.
And comedy-drama Babylon, helmed by Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, opened with a mere US$5.3 million despite a cast including Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. Variety.com called that an “especially terrible start.”
But David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research suggested that the over-the-top epic can expect a boost “if it picks up big awards nominations,” as many expect.
Fifth place for the long, cold weekend went to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, at US$5.3 million. Its domestic total is now US$428 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
Violent Night (US$4.3 million)
The Whale (US$1.5 million)
The Menu (US$1 million)
The Fabelmans (US$900,000)
Strange World (US$675,000) ― AFP
