Avatar 3 falters in China as long runtime and high prices weigh on demand

by SHEN Xiaoge

Avatar 3 opened more weakly than expected in China, as audiences in the world's second-largest film market grow more price-sensitive and selective.

The film has taken in more than 400 million yuan (about US$57 million) in China after three days in theaters, according to Maoyan, a Chinese box office tracking platform. While the release coincided with a weekend, opening momentum lagged that of earlier installments.

Separate data from Dengta Pro showed first-day box office, including previews and midnight screenings, reached 121 million yuan as of Dec 19. Excluding previews, opening-day takings were below 100 million yuan, a softer start than analysts had anticipated.

Directed by James Cameron, Avatar 3—officially titled Avatar: Fire and Ash—is the longest film in the trilogy at 198 minutes. The extended runtime has drawn criticism from some moviegoers, who have cited a slow pace and fatigue.

On Chinese review platform Douban, the film holds a 7.6 rating, the lowest in the franchise, compared with 8.8 for the original Avatar and 7.8 for Avatar: The Way of Water.

The contrast with earlier performance is stark. The first two Avatar films each generated more than 1.7 billion yuan in China. Before release, Maoyan Pro forecast Avatar 3 would gross 1.169 billion yuan domestically. However, presales after four days totaled just over 60 million yuan, roughly half the level seen by Avatar 2 over the same period.

Since release, box office revenue has risen steadily, but attendance has been uneven. Industry trackers say demand is concentrated in premium formats such as IMAX, while standard theaters have reported weaker occupancy, even with ticket prices falling to the 20-yuan range in some locations.

For many moviegoers, however, the overall cost of watching the film remains a key deterrent. Tickets for IMAX and other premium screens typically cost more than 180 yuan, and some estimates put the total outlay for two viewers—including transport and refreshments—at 400 to 500 yuan, a level many casual moviegoers appear unwilling to pay.

The softer start is not confined to China. Early box office results across major overseas markets have also trailed the previous installment by about 20%, according to industry estimates.

The film's performance has also drawn investor attention to Bona Film Group, a China-based film producer with a small profit-sharing stake in Avatar 3. Bona's shares have been volatile around the release. In a filing on Dec 15, the company said its investment interest—via cooperation with TSG Entertainment Finance LLC—was limited and would have no material impact on short-term earnings, urging investors to remain cautious.

Bona's third-quarter 2025 report showed revenue of 972 million yuan, up 1.29% year on year, while net losses attributable to shareholders widened to 1.11 billion yuan from 354 million yuan a year earlier. Its shares closed at the daily limit down on Dec 22.