After waiting over a decade, fans finally saw Avatar 2 in theaters. It is one of the most expensive films ever made, with a budget nearly double what had been spent on Avatar 1.
Stars such as Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana earned generous salaries for their performances, with Sigourney Weaver returning as Dr. Grace Augustine via voice-over performance and motion capture technology. Furthermore, there was an extensive crew working on this film project.
Production
Avatar made over $2.9 billion at the box office, leaving its sequels with much to live up to financially. Director James Cameron stated that Avatar 2 must become one of the three or four highest-grossing movies ever to break even. That type of money doesn’t come quickly, leading many to question how much the film costs to make.
Production Costs
Unfortunately, details on the film’s budget remain mostly hush-hush; however, we can get an approximate idea by looking at its predecessor’s production budget. Fox shared information with The Wrap in 2009,, which estimated its production budget as being roughly $387 Million; when adjusted for inflation, this figure may likely increase significantly.
Avatar was one of the most expensive films ever produced and one of the biggest box office successes ever seen. Luckily, its sequels have not been as costly to create, and their budgets have been significantly reduced.
Due to being shot primarily on location in New Zealand, where its predecessor took place, Avatar 2’s production costs have been minimal compared to its predecessor. Still, several expenses must be covered, such as salaries for cast and crew, visual effects work, costumes, etc.
VFX work can often be the most costly aspect of producing any movie, and Avatar 2 was no different. Shot entirely in 3D using motion capture technology, creating an intensive environment. A large team had to be employed for its VFX effects to look their best.
Other VFX work on the movie was less labor-intensive but still costly, such as when several scenes had to be created using miniature sets and other techniques to give some action scenes an illusion of depth and scale.
Consider that Avatar 2’s budget went essentially toward developing and creating new technology required to film it – such as underwater shooting using motion capture technology – which took time and money to perfect.
As such, Avatar 2’s budget has come in considerably below many estimates. While its production costs may prevent it from competing with Avengers: Endgame or Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at the box office, its lower budget could still make it profitable and will likely prove worthwhile investments for its backers.
