Avatar: The Way of the Water didn’t turn out to be the massive gamble many once thought – in fact, it looks like one of the best business decisions 20th Century Studios and James Cameron have ever made.

According to a recent analysis, Avatar 2 has made more than half a billion dollars ($531.7 million) in estimated earnings since its release – a nice margin on the $2.317 billion the film has grossed worldwide at the box office.

avatar maker James Cameron was shockingly clear Before The way of the water statement, stating in interviews that, on paper, do the sequel”the worst business case in the history of cinema”, because to recoup the cost of production, it had to “be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history”.

Well, as is Avatar: The Way of the Water ended up being the third highest-grossing film of all time, with the first Avatar And Avengers: Endgame always keeping the no. 1 and no. 2 places, respectively. Having achieved the goal, it is therefore not surprising that Avatar 2 made a good profit, and Deadline the breakdown indicates that there are more benefits to come:

As the third-highest-grossing film of all time with $2.3 billion, behind Avatar’s $2.9 billion and Avengers: Endgame’s $2.79 billion, Deadline’s sources estimate Avatar: The Way of Water grossed $531.7 million. And that doesn’t include ancillary revenue from Avatar’s presence at Disney theme parks, which the conglom also relies on on its books.

This will no doubt give Disney and 20th Century Studios the confidence to move forward with Cameron’s plans for Avatar 3Avatar 4 and Avatar 5. Disney previously planned to alternate the release years of Cameron’s movies with big Star Wars movies – although it’s unclear what that timeline looks like now, as the two franchises (like the industry) have seen major changes in the years since COVID.

According to the Avatar franchise Zoe Saldana, however, cameras on Avatar 3 should start rolling this summer:

“We are going to go back this summer and finish it [Avatar 3] at the top. We are 70% there. But, we have time… How excited are we? We pinch each other, but no one more than James Cameron. Jimbo pinches himself saying ‘I told you, man, I bet on the right people.’ And we bet on him again and again. I’m proud of him. I’m proud of him and his whole team. I feel so lucky to be a part of something that is truly changing lives and changing the history of cinema. I adore.”

Avatar: The Way of the Water is available for digital viewing. Avatar 3 goes into production.