The first part of Avatar (2009) was a smashing hit that created a massive brand for the franchise, which helped Avatar: The Way of Water, the second part, open to more than ₹40 crore net in India. Even though its reviews were not as strong as the original, the film still performed exceptionally well, collecting close to ₹500 crore gross in India.
However, the impact of Avatar 2 seems to have affected Avatar 3: Fire and Ash. The latest installment was released with weak buzz and opened to a much lower response. Its opening day collections were only about 50% of The Way of Water, and the weekend bookings have also been underwhelming.
At this pace, trade experts believe that reaching even ₹250 crore gross in India will be a very tough task for Avatar 3, and we have to wait and see how the franchise brand will help the film in the coming days.
