Ahead of the opening of Avatar: The Way of Water on Thursday, the national box office plummeted to a new post-2021 lockdown low last weekend.
Numero data puts the top 20 titles at just $3.7 million, down 26 per cent on the previous weekend’s then record slump.
With the James Cameron behemoth imminent, few distributors have been game to launch any major release into the market. The only new film to crack the top 10 last weekend was Paramount’s PG-rated animation Tad the Explorer, The Mummy Adventure, which made just $102,975 from 226 screens.
The original Avatar, released in 2009, is the highest grossing film of all time globally at $US2.9 billion. In Australia, it made $115 million, still far outstripping the second highest grossing title, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace GM Alex Temesvari notes everyone is “anxiously waiting” for The Way of Water now, with “early word on the film being that it bests the first film in all areas, which is a relief.”
With a recent laser projector and screen upgrade, the cinema is the only one in Sydney – and one of a handful in the country – that can run the film in High Frame Rate 3D at 14 foot-lamberts.
“We will literally have the brightest and most vibrant 3D projection of the film that is possible,” Temesvari says.
“The film looks stunning anyway, but when you see it projected at the highest possible quality, the difference is enormous. We’re proud to have made such a big investment in our equipment and provide the best possible viewing experience for our audience.”
Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell says pre-sales are coming along nicely, with excitement building.
“We don’t have 3D at all of our sites (6 out of 9), but 3D sales are currently around 40-45 per cent at larger sites, and actually equaling or even exceeding 2D sales so far at some of the smaller sites,” he tells IF.
Last weekend’s no. 1, for the fifth time in a row, was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Disney/Marvel sequel has now cracked the $27 million mark, having earned an extra $1.3 million. Globally, it stands at $US767.8 million.
Universal’s Violent Night, which stars David Harbour as a mercenary-fighting Santa Claus, held well through its second frame, dipping just 6 per cent to $616,951.
Disney’s The Menu served up $552,567 in its third, advancing to $3.1 million, while animated stablemate Strange World amassed $484,170, moving to $2 million.
Black Adam is now on $18.7 million for Warner Bros. after eight weekends, ringing up another $157,320, while Uni’s Mrs Harris Goes to Paris stands at $7.4 million after seven, having added $120,755.
Jumping back into the top 10 was Top Gun: Maverick, which Sony has returned to theatres until this Thursday. The film earned $114,074 last weekend, meaning the film is now just shy of $93 million.
Indian crime thriller Drishyam 2 earned $71,449 for Mindblowing in its fourth weekend, with its gross climbing to $1.2 million.
Rounding out the top 10 was Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All, which brought in an extra $68,434 for WB in its third, moving to $535,799.
Local film Seriously Red, distributed by Roadshow, came in at no. 11, earning $63,256 in its third weekend. It has made $650,783 so far.