James Cameron will make his anticipated return to theaters with Avatar: The Way of Water later this year. As a noted perfectionist, Cameron has been working on this film for over 10 years. Between production delays and new technology, Avatar 2 will be one of the most expensive films ever made. With a rumored budget of $250 million, the film will need to make a substantial dent at the box office to turn a profit. When asked by GQ about the budget, Cameron bluntly said how expensive Avatar 2 was to make.
“Very f***ing [expensive],” said Cameron. The director even told Disney and 20th Century Studios that the sequel is “the worst business case in movie history,” and to make a profit, Cameron said Avatar 2 needs to be “the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. That’s your threshold. That’s your break even.”
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Cameron is no stranger to big-budget productions. Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Titanic, and Avatar were all some of the most expensive films ever made upon their release. However, all three films became box office sensations, with Titanic and Avatar occupying two of the three spots for highest-grossing film of all time. With a proven track record of success, Cameron can now justify his work on expensive films.
“And I used to be really defensive about that because it was always the first thing anybody would mention. And now I’m like, if I can make a business case to spend a billion dollars on a movie, I will fucking do it. Do you want to know why? Because we don’t put it all on a pile and light it on fire. We give it to people,” said Cameron. “If the studio agrees and thinks it’s a good investment, as opposed to buying an oil lease off of the north of Scotland, which somebody would think was a good investment, why not do it?”
Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters on December 16.
Do you think Avatar 2 will become one of the highest-grossing films of all time? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
