Avatar: The Way Of Water Opens Making $15.8 Million Internationally

Variety reports that James Cameron's highly-anticipated Avatar: The Way of Water launched at the international box office, collecting $15.8 million from 15 overseas markets on opening day. In 2009, Avatar opened with an impressive $77 million weekend, but nothing Earth-shattering then. Way of Water is projected to lead the weekend box office with a $175 million opener domestically.

How Way of Water breaks down is $1.5 million in Mexico, $1.3 million in Australia, $1 million in Brazil, and $4.4 million across Latin America. The sequel had its strongest start in Korea with $3.3 million, followed by France with $2.9 million, Germany with $2.5 million, and Italy with $1.6 million. Though even with these numbers, it may fall short of record-setting numbers in its inaugural weekend.

Disney, the studio backing the juggernaut this time around, is also reporting that initial returns were 12% behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and 23% behind Marvel's Spider-Man: No Way Home in similar markets.

The sequel to Avatar cost a reported $350 million, making it one of the priciest movies in history, which means it doesn't just have to break even, it has to make history. Cameron has said it needs to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history just to break even. If not, the other planned movies that Cameron has in store for the world and characters, may not come to fruition at all.

Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver soars into theaters Friday.