James Cameron’s Avatar has reclaimed the top spot as the highest-grossing movie worldwide. 2019’s Avengers: Endgame previously broke the record. But thanks to a re-release in China, Avatar is once again at the top.
The announcement of the re-release came quickly with Cameron posting about it on Twitter on March 10, just days before the weekend. However, it had been rumored for some time and for good reason. COVID-19 put every production on the backburner. And last year, China saw success with other re-releases post-lockdown. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, for example, crossed the $1 billion mark thanks to another theatrical run.
Avengers: Endgame only surpassed Avatar by $7.8 million worldwide. And as it turns out, Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster didn’t even need the whole weekend to close that gap. As of writing, Avatar now stands at $2.802 billion while Endgame is at $2.797 billion. But as both properties are owned by Disney, everything’s great for the House of Mouse.
After the announcement of the movie’s re-release, Cameron spoke to China.org about how Avatar is still relevant today:
Following the movie’s reclamation of the top box office spot, producer Jon Landau stated the following:
