By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" led ticket sales in movie theaters for the sixth straight weekend, making it the first film to have such a sustained reign atop the box office since 2009's "Avatar."
The Walt Disney Co.'s "The Way of Water" added $19.7 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Its global total has now surpassed $2 billion, putting it sixth all-time and just ahead of "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Domestically, "The Way of Water" is up to $598 million. Continued robust international sales ($56.3 million for the weekend) has helped push the "Avatar" sequel to $2.024 billion worldwide.
A year ago, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" also topped the box office for six weekends, but did it over the course of seven weeks. You have to go back to Cameron's original "Avatar" to find a movie that stayed No. 1 for such a long span. ("Avatar" ultimately topped out at seven weeks.) Before that, the only film in the past 25 years to manage the feat was another Cameron film; "Titanic" (1997) went undefeated for 15 weeks.
"The Way of Water" has now reached a target that Cameron himself set for the very expensive sequel. Ahead of its release, Cameron said becoming "the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history" was "your break even."
The box-office domination for "The Way of Water" has been aided, in part, by a dearth of formidable challengers. The only new wide release from a major studio on the weekend was the thriller "Missing," from Sony's Screen Gems and Stage 6 Films. A low-budget sequel to 2018's "Searching," starring Storm Reid as a teenager seeking her missing mother, "Missing" plays out across computer screens. The film, budgeted at $7 million, debuted with $9.3 million.
January is typically a slow period in theaters, but a handful of strong-performing holdovers have helped prop up sales.
Though it didn't open hugely in December, Universal Pictures' "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" has had long legs as one of the only family options in theaters over the last month. In its fifth week, it came in second place with $11.5 million domestically and $17.8 million overseas. The "Puss in Boots" sequel has grossed $297.5 million globally.
The creepy doll horror hit "M3gan," also from Universal, has likewise continued to pull in moviegoers. It notched $9.8 million in its third week, bringing its domestic haul to $73.3 million.
And while the popularity of horror titles in theaters is nothing new, Sony Pictures' "A Man Called Otto," starring Tom Hanks, has flourished in a marketplace that's been trying for adult-oriented dramas. The film, a remake of the Swedish film "A Man Called Ove," about a retired man whose suicide plans are continually foiled by his neighbors, made $9 million in its second week of wide release. It's taken in $35.3 million domestically through Sunday.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Avatar: The Way of Water," $19.7 million.
2. "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," $11.5 million.
3. "M3gan," $9.8 million
4. "Missing," $9.3 million.
5. "A Man Called Otto," $9 million.
6. "Plane," $5.3 million.
7. "House Party," $1.8 million.
8. "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime The Movie," $1.5 million.
9. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," $1.4 million.
10. "The Whale," $1.3 million.
Droga5 Appoints Emma Montgomery As Global Chief Strategy Officer
Creative agency network Droga5 has appointed Emma Montgomery as global chief strategy officer. She is the third global appointment for the agency this year, with Pelle Sjoenell named worldwide chief creative officer this past March, and global CEO Mark Green recently appointed this fall. Montgomery will be responsible for connecting and supercharging Droga5โs strategy and creative offerings globally. She will be based in its headquarters in New York City.
โEmma is a world-class strategic leader and authority that Iโve long admired and dreamt of being partners-in-crime with,โ said Sjoenell. โHer work inspires the creativity that connects people and brands in ways that move business and culture forward, so Iโm excited to finally be able to work with her alongside Mark, and to see her lead and further strengthen our leadership and strategy teams around the world.โ
Montgomery joins Droga5 after serving as CEO of DDB Chicago. Sheโs been in the industry for over 20 years, and has served in several high-level leadership positions throughout her career, including as president and CSO of Leo Burnett Chicago, global CSO of TBWA, and CEO of Leo Burnett Australia. Sheโs also worked across a breadth of categories and multiple global clients such as Kraft, Aldi, Diageo and Molson Coors, among many others, including challenger brands and startups.
โIโm excited to join Droga5 and have the opportunity to help carve out a new path for the brand globally, building on its tremendous legacy of creative leadership,โ said Montgomery. โThe potential of Droga5, combined with the possibilities of Accenture Song, was too exciting to pass up. No other agency has what they have, and as marketing shifts, the chance to make creativity a genuine... Read More