Though it's the second-biggest global opening of the year, Avatar: The Way of Water surfaced below expectations over the weekend. The James Cameron-directed sequel raked in over $435 million dollars at the box office after being projected to hit half a billion.

　　Deadline reports Avatar: The Way of Water missed the mark partly because of COVID-19 concerns in China. The movie was predicted to earn $100 million there but ended up with $57.1 million. The sequel didn't hit expectations domestically either. Last week, Avatar: The Way of Water looked like it may bring in $150 million to $175 million at theaters. Instead, the sci-fi flick settled with $134 million.

　　The top five international markets for Avatar: The Way of Water are as follows:

　　China with $57.1 millionKorea with $24.7 millionGermany with $20 million France with $19.3 millionIndia with $18.1 millionThese numbers are significant for Cameron going forward, since he said Avatar 2 is the "worst business case in movie history." He alluded to the movie basically needing to make over $2 billion to break even. Plus, a strong market reception is needed to see further sequels developed, specifically Avatar 4 and 5.

　　Avatar: The Way of Water won't have too much blockbuster competition over the next month, though. The most notable releases in that time frame are Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie's Babylon along with the horror flick M3GAN. Add in the holidays, and the sequel could show off serious legs at the box office.

　　For more on the sequel, check out GameSpot's Avatar: The Way of Water review. Mason Downey found the film to be mediocre, adding it "fails to live up to its legacy as a bleeding edge spectacle." The sequel stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.