The Na’vi have once again bested the Avengers.
For a whole decade between 2009 and 2019, James Cameron’s Avatar reigned supreme as the highest-grossing movie in the world, but its thunder was eventually stolen by Marvel behemoth Avengers: Endgame two summers ago. Less than a couple of years later, however, Avatar has reclaimed the top spot after a re-release in China this week has given its accumulated global total just enough of a bump.
The sci-fi epic returned to Chinese theaters in both IMAX and 3D this weekend, and it’s proving to be a major hit thanks to moviegoing once again being a raring business in the post-COVID-19 region. As of 5PM local time on Saturday, the pic has taken in an estimated $8.9 million. Seeing as the gap between Avatar and Endgame before this was was just $7.82 million, that means the former has now surpassed its rival’s total and is once again the planet’s biggest film.
As things stand, then, Avatar has an estimated grand total of $2,798,579,794 compared to Endgame‘s $2,797,501,328. Obviously, regardless of whichever one of these is on top, Disney is laughing all the way to the bank as the studio owns both properties these days following their acquisition of Fox, while Deadline notes that the Mouse House is likely to release official figures and a confirmation of the news later today.
Marvel fans might be slightly miffed that Endgame has been pushed into second place, but it’s worth pointing out that Avatar has been re-issued multiple times in various territories over the past decade, which has massively helped its accumulated figure. Endgame, on the other hand, earned pretty much its entire gross during its original theatrical run. As such, all it would take would be a major re-release, like this re-run of Avatar in China, for the positions to switch again.
But for now, the Na’vi remain on top and Cameron is on the cusp of releasing his long-gestating Avatar sequels, with Avatar 2 finally due out in December 2022. Three more follow-ups will then arrive every other Christmas until part five debuts in 2028.