'Avatar: The Fire and the Fury' steps in as a savior for this year's Korean box office.
On the 17th, the film 'Avatar: The Fire and the Fury' (director James Cameron, distributed/imported by The Walt Disney Company Korea, abbreviated 'Avatar 3') opens in theaters nationwide. 'Avatar: The Fire and the Fury' is a work that depicts the story of an even greater crisis unfolding on a Pandora covered in fire and ash after the tribe of ash led by Varang appears before the Sully family, who are grieving the death of Jake and Neytiri's first son, Neteyam. In particular, it draws attention as the third installment of the globally successful 'Avatar' series.
# 'Avatar,' the beginning of a box office legend
When 'Avatar' first opened in 2009, it drew about 13.33 million viewers in Korea alone. Global box office revenue reached $2,923.71 million (Hanwha about 4.3156 trillion won), making it the highest-grossing film of all time. 'Avatar' briefly ceded the global box office No. 1 spot to 'Avengers: Endgame,' but reclaimed the top spot when it was re-released in China in 2021. As a result, it has remained the global box office No. 1 even 16 years after its release.
Beyond simple box office success, 'Avatar' opened a new horizon for special effects in the global film industry. It willingly drew audiences into an invitation to the planet Pandora, as if stepping into a new world. As a result, 'Avatar' swept major film awards, including 15 Critics' Choice Awards for cinematography, art direction, editing, visual effects, and action film, the 67th Golden Globe Awards for best motion picture — drama and director, the 62nd Directors Guild of America Awards director's award (honorary), the 63rd British Academy Film Awards for special visual effects and production design, and the 82nd Academy Awards for cinematography, art direction and visual effects.
# 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' the money road paved by James Cameron
James Cameron was already an unparalleled box office director with 'Titanic' before 'Avatar.' Thirteen years after the release of the first 'Avatar,' he released the second installment of the series, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' (Avatar 2), in 2022, further solidifying his box office run. 'Avatar 2' drew about 10.82 million viewers domestically and recorded global box office revenue of $2,320.25 million (Hanwha about 3.4242 trillion won), soaring to third place among the highest-grossing films of all time.
Moreover, the success of 'Avatar 2' was remarkable because it held up even in the pandemic market caused by COVID-19. The global theater industry was in a slump. The Korean box office was particularly wavering at that time. While the domestic box office downturn had become entrenched, 'Avatar 2' again surpassed 10 million admissions domestically, setting a record of box office invincibility. In terms of global performance, it was also the only film released after COVID-19 to surpass $2 billion.
# foreign films still bring welcome box office news
The Korean box office is still unable to shake off its slump. Now more than ever, the birth of a '10 million admissions' film, even if it is a foreign film, is desperately needed. In this context, with the release of 'Avatar: The Fire and the Fury,' the film industry is cautiously anticipating box office success. The timing is also aimed squarely at the year-end and New Year box office peak season.
James Cameron's confidence that ''he did not use AI'' in a time when the survival of films made by people is at stake only adds to expectations. It is already reported that, on the premise of the success of 'Avatar 3,' discussions are underway for series installments 4 and 5. Attention is focused on whether 'Avatar: The Fire and the Fury' will bring new vitality to the Korean box office.
[Photo] Provided by The Walt Disney Company Korea.
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