Disney rereleases “Avatar” in theaters to drum up hype for its sequel (and its cinematic universe)

Déjà vu at the box office… You’re not imagining it: the original “Avatar” is back on big screens this weekend. “Avatar” became the highest-grossing film ever (not adjusted for inflation) when it debuted in 2009, raking in $2.8B globally, and fans demanded a sequel. But Disney inherited “Avatar” when it bought 20th Century Fox in 2019 and has been slow to release a sequel. Now Disney’s generating hype by rereleasing the original in US theaters on Friday:

• The wait’s (almost) over: “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the first of four planned sequels, is scheduled to debut in December (just 13 years after the OG…).
• Better than free advertising: Advertising that pays. The rerelease is forecast to earn ~$10M. But it’s also said to include a sneak peek of the sequel, which is already gaining buzz.

Theaters aren’t choosy… because they’re struggling. Industry-wide box-office sales are still 30% lower than prepandemic, and the world’s second-largest theater chain, Regal Cinemas, filed for bankruptcy this month. Part of the problem: big studios like Universal are releasing only some films in theaters and sending others straight to streaming.

• Fewer blockbusters: Nine movies made $1B at the box office in 2019. But since the pandemic, only two have cracked $1B, and they’re both franchises (“Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Top Gun: Maverick”). Analysts expect the new “Avatar" to be the third.