Avatar: The Way of Water is less than a week away from hitting the screens. It has already sold around 2 lakh tickets for the opening day and 4.10 lakh tickets for the opening weekend. An all-India gross of Rs 7 crore is expected on the first day. The weekend is likely to gross around Rs 16 crore.
The sequel of the 2009 film is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It is also expected to compete with the biggest grossers of the year - Brahmastra, KGF 2, and Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness. The pre-sales show a great base. At the moment, Avengers: End Game holds the record for the biggest pre-sales of all time with an All-India Gross Advance of Rs 80 crore.
After the London premiere, critics have given the film positive reviews. Most short and sweet reactions on Twitter indicated "too overwhelming" visuals and called director James Cameron a "technology master." Even the three-hour duration hasn't put a damper on the effect.
Kara Warner of People wrote: As an Avatar stan, I had high hopes for #AvatarTheWayofWater and for me it totally delivers. Sure it's a little long, but worth it for the gorgeous visuals, and wonderful new characters. A total thrill."
Yolanda Machado of Entertainment Weekly said: "James Cameron's FREE WILLY. #Avatar #AvatarTheWayofWater James Cameron is a technology master... and his direction is at its most precise here. The film as a whole, while a technological marvel with a breathtaking world, is just (crying out laughing emoji). Dances with Wolves and Free Willy for Gen Z! Pee beforehand."
Perri Nemiroff of Collider tweeted: "#AvatarTheWayOfWater is pretty incredible. I had faith James Cameron would raise the bar w/ the effects but these visuals are mind-blowing. One stunning frame after the next. But the thing I dug most is how the technical feats always feel in service of character & world-building. As for the story, it's A LOT of movie & I'm eager for a 2nd viewing to revisit some details, but on 1st watch, it's a mighty effective exploration of community & family dynamics. Returning cast is great, but the newcomers are major standouts, particularly Britain Dalton as Lo'ak. And yes, this did make me want to see more #Avatar movies. I would also like a whole lot more of Cliff Curtis' Tonowari in those movies, please."
The science fiction film brings back Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña as Jake Sully and Neytiri. Kiri, their adopted teenage daughter, is played by Sigourney Weaver who played Dr Grace Augustine in the original.