Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
No Single Movie Can Save Theaters, But The New 'Avatar' Sequel Won't Hurt

A large part of James Cameron’s new Avatar sequel is set underwater. And that’s exactly where theater owners are right now: buried under massive debt, with attendance nosediving.
No single movie can reverse the collapsing fortunes of exhibitors, whose long-term prospects remain about as palatable as stale popcorn. But Avatar: The Way of Water, which opens this weekend, could at least save the fourth quarter for theater owners, who have been desperately awaiting a hit ever since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opened a month and a half ago.
Box-office prognosticators estimate that Avatar could gross as much as $175 million this coming weekend, and a total of $500 million worldwide over those three days. In Thursday previews, the sequel grossed a strong $17 million.
Given that it’s not a superhero movie — there are zero Marvel or DC characters to be found — such a strong opening would be especially significant. But the sequel does have box-office history on its side: The original Avatar, released in 2009, remains the highest-grossing film ever, with worldwide receipts of $2.9 billion (2019’s Avengers: Endgame is second, with $2.8 billion.)
Whatever Avatar ends up taking in, it won’t alter the inescapable fact that movie theaters will never be what they once were.
The pandemic didn’t create but rather exposed the fundamental problem with the theatrical model: it hadn’t changed in more than a century. If you wanted to see a movie at the multiplex, you could only choose from a handful of titles playing at a fixed time in a specific venue.
Streaming has none of those limitations. Now that the major studios are releasing fewer films theatrically, and rushing such movies to their streaming platforms, the audience has been educated: don’t leave your house.
That said, there’s no way that waiting to watch Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney+ can match the experience of seeing (and hearing) the movie on a big screen, ideally in 3D.
For what it’s worth, I’ve seen Avatar: The Way of Water. So if you feel safe among strangers, head to the multiplex: If there’s one movie worth leaving the house for, this might be it.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
There are no reports of injuries after a blast and ensuing fire, which could be seen for miles on Thursday night.
-
The FCC voted to end E-Rate discounts for library hotspot lending and school bus Wi-Fi.
-
About half the Pacific Airshow’s 2025 lineup has been grounded because of the federal government shutdown.
-
USC says it’s reviewing the letter also sent to eight other prestigious schools nationwide. California's governor vowed that any California universities that sign will lose state funding.
-
Scientists say La Niña is likely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a dry winter in Southern California.
-
According to a grand jury report the contractor took advantage of strained relations and political pressures to “force” the city to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to settle disputes.