James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi blockbuster Avatar is coming back to theaters in China, and its return could help it take down Avengers: Endgame to reclaim the top box office record.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, China’s Film Bureau recently approved Avatar for release in China this Friday, March 12. It will play across the country in both IMAX 3D and regular 3D.
Avengers: Endgame currently holds the record for the highest-grossing movie of all time with $2.797 billion. Avatar was the No. 1 movie before then, with its total box office haul standing at $2.790 billion. What this means is that Avatar needs about $7.4 million to take back the top spot.
Avatar’s re-release in China is not a complete surprise, as the movie was pegged to be among the first to return to cinemas in the country as part a re-opening plan for theaters. The Film Bureau in China was specifically looking at back catalog films to bring back to theaters as Hollywood and Chinese studios were holding back their new releases due to the pandemic.
We’ll report back with the box office numbers for Avatar in China when they are available to determine if the film’s re-release was indeed enough to topple Endgame.
In other news about the Chinese movie market, Avengers: Endgame’s record for biggest opening weekend at the box office in a single market has just fallen. Detective Chinatown 3 opened in China in February and it made a gargantuan $397.2 million USD over the weekend, which crushes Avengers: Endgame ($357 million USD).
