James Cameron’s biggest sequel of his career, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), has proven to be quite literally unstoppable, continuing to break box office records of every kind conceivable worldwide. According to a new report from Variety, the sequel has officially become the highest-grossing film of all time in India, breaking the record previously set by Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The film continues its blockbuster run through theaters across India and, per statistics provided to Variety by Disney, to date, has earned INR4.6 billion (or $56.6 million), steamrolling Russo Brothers’ Endgame profits which were INR4.3 billion ($53.6 million). Ironically, mostly Disney films compile the top ten biggest, most successful Hollywood movies in India as far as revenue. In third place after Endgame is Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Spiderman: No Way Home (2021) in fourth, Jon Favreau’s adaptation of The Jungle Book (2016) in fifth, the recent live-action remake of The Lion King (2019) in sixth place, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) in eighth place, and the first Avatar (2009) film in ninth. Before the pandemic hit, such films accounted for a record 15% of box office revenue in India in 2019. However, later in 2021, as the pandemic waned, the percentage fell back to the average of 11%, per a report from EY Indian.
In an official statement from Bikram Duggal, who is the head of Disney Star studios in India:
