LOS ANGELES, March 12 (Reuters) – James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster “Avatar” is about to return to the top of the all-time charts this weekend after the film was re-released in China.
‘Avatar’, which debuted in 2009, held the worldwide box office title for ten years, until it was overtaken by the Marvel superhero epic ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in 2019.
On Friday, Cameron’s film made an estimated $ 3.5 million in new ticket sales after it was re-released in China, where the cinema got back on track following the movie theater shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That put “Avatar” just under the $ 2.798 billion collected worldwide by “Endgame,” according to distributor Walt Disney Co. Both films are now owned by Disney after the company bought entertainment assets from Fox in 2019.
Cameron has worked on four sequels to ‘Avatar’. The next film, which has been delayed several times, is currently scheduled for release in December 2022. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine Editing by Bill Berkrot)