Avatar sequel makes a splash at Odeon as more than a million Brits flock to the UK’s largest cinema chain
Avatar’s long-awaited sequel gave the box office a much-needed boost this Christmas with more than a million Brits flocking to the UK’s largest cinema chain.
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, the most expensive movie ever made, was the biggest film since Top Gun: Maverick, Odeon said.
The film has taken £45million in three weeks, according to the British Film Institute (BFI).
Feeling blue: Avatar: The Way of Water (pictured), the most expensive movie ever made, was the biggest film since Top Gun: Maverick, Odeon said
Odeon said strong performances from both Matilda the Musical and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody also helped.
Carol Welch, Odeon’s UK & Ireland managing director, said it was optimistic about 2023, despite inflationary pressures.
Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said Avatar was a ‘crumb of hope’ but warned it would take more than a handful of films to extinguish challenges faced.
‘Chains are carrying a lot of debt and grappling with slowing demand as the pandemic altered entertainment preferences, and the cost-of-living crisis means there are fewer people queuing for tickets,’ she said.
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