'Avatar 2' Reveals Hefty Budget, Needs China to "Break Even"

Avatar 2: The Way of Water (2022) will need a miracle if it plans to make a profit for the franchise.

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After spending 13 years in development, Avatar 2 is finally hitting theaters this December.  James Cameron might have spent his life trying to move the franchise forward in a good direction, but his time has taken a toll financially. Earlier, the director said that if fans wanted to see Avatar 3, he would need the movie to make $2 Billion at the box office.

Three more movies are planned after Way of Water, which will explore a different part of Pandora, and not all of them could be made if things don’t go according to plan. One of the biggest factors is China, which made the first Avatar movie the highest-grossing film of all time due to re-releases.

Related: The Final Trailer For ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Is Absolutely Mind-Blowing

The Hollywood Reporter shares that the budget for Way of Water might be higher than fans would expect as it is nearly half a million dollars:

The Way of Water‘s production budget is one of the priciest in Hollywood’s history, and is in the $350 million to $400 million range, according to sources.

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Due to the hefty budget, Disney is making sure the movie is good for Chinese theaters as they will do whatever it takes to get it there. With China, Disney stands a chance to break even, but if they don’t get help, then the movie will probably end the franchise right then and there.

Part of why the movie needs to hit such a high figure is because James Cameron has been working so much on the next couple of Avatar projects that some of those costs probably have added up. With Disney not doing well under Chapek, the company has been trying to cut costs, and Avatar 3 might have to be next.

Related: James Cameron Says ‘Avatar 2’ Budget Was “Very F****** Expensive”

Another reason is that the marketing internationally has probably been adding up as Disney wants to ensure that all of the fans get to see the movie since it has been a while since the first movie was released. In the end, Avatar 2 has a big challenge to overcome, but it has done the impossible before and could do it again.

Do you think Avatar 3 will happen? Let us know what you think!