M3GAN beats Avatar 2 from No. 1 on first day after release

Although M3GAN will finish the weekend in second place behind Avatar: Way of Water, the killer doll film outsold its sequel on Friday.

Avatar: Way of Water was knocked out of its No. 1 spot at the daily domestic box office for the first time thanks to killer doll flick M3GAN. Thirteen years after the original 2009 film, "Avatar: The Way of Water" reunites director James Cameron with stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, among others. get together. Since its release on Dec. 16, 2022, the "Avatar" sequels have grossed more than $1.5 billion, making them the top-grossing film of 2022, though Top Gun: Maverick remains the top-grossing film domestically Office during the 2022 calendar year.

Per Collider, Avatar: The Way of Water is facing some competition, but just won another feather thanks to M3GAN's promising box office prospects. Although "Avatar: Way of Water" would still top the weekend with a total of about $10 million ahead of M3GAN's three-day forecast, M3GAN opened Friday with an impressive $11.7 million. That allowed it to surpass the $11.4 million gross of "Avatar: Way of Water," its fourth installment, on the same day. Friday in theaters. That makes Friday the first day any film other than "Avatar: Way of Water" has even scored No. 1.

Why M3GAN is Performing So Well

M3GAN has had a stellar weekend so far. Starring "Get Out"'s Allison Williams and from the "Maleficent" team of producer James Wan and screenwriter Acra Cooper, the film opened at the box office more than 2022 horror flick "Maleficent." Smile was even stronger at the box office. It also made back its $12 million budget (and then some) in one weekend.

There may be many reasons for the film's success. For starters, the movie seems to bridge the gap between critics and audiences, with a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 94 percent (the best score for a Blumhouse horror film since the Oscar-nominated Get Out), which shows that Most viewers agree that it's a fun time to watch movies, regardless of whether the movie is to their taste. There's also a huge viral moment in the M3GAN trailer, featuring the titular killer doll dancing with a sharpened weapon, inspiring many memes, including a TikTok dance challenge.

What Will be the Next Film to Challenge Avatar: The Way of Water?

However, even though M3GAN has beaten Avatar: Water of Water down a peg, which doesn't mean the smash hit film will lose steam anytime soon. The film has already become the ninth highest-grossing film of all time and is likely to climb even higher on the charts before its run wraps up. With the exception of Plane, which premieres next weekend, and the rebooted House Party, January looks to be a pretty dry month for wide release, so the two films may continue to swap No. 1 spots for a while. Although early February also saw the release of "Knock on Log Cabin" and "Magic Mike's Last Dance," the next movie will be a close battle that will almost certainly knock Cameron's flick to second place. , that’s Marvel’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantum Fever, which won’t hit theaters until February 17.

More: Why Avatar: Way of Water Box Office Predictions Are Wrong