Blockbuster Avatar sequel makes a splash at Odeon 

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Avatar sequel impresses Odeon as over a million Brits flock to the UK’s largest cinema chain

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The much-anticipated Avatar sequel gave the box office a much-needed boost this Christmas with over a million Britons flocking to the UK’s largest cinema chain.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, the most expensive movie ever made, was the biggest movie since Top Gun: Maverick, Odeon said.

According to the British Film Institute (BFI), the film has cost £45 million in three weeks.

Feeling blue: Avatar: The Way of Water (pictured), the most expensive movie ever made, was the biggest movie since Top Gun: Maverick, Odeon said

Feeling blue: Avatar: The Way of Water (pictured), the most expensive movie ever made, was the biggest movie since Top Gun: Maverick, Odeon said

Odeon said strong performances from both Matilda the Musical and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody also helped.

Carol Welch, Odeon Managing Director UK & Ireland, said she was optimistic about 2023 despite inflationary pressures.

Sophie Lund-Yates, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said Avatar was a “crumb of hope” but warned it would take more than a handful of films to overcome the challenges they face.

“Chains are heavily in debt and struggling with declining demand as the pandemic changed entertainment preferences, and the cost-of-living crisis means fewer people are queuing for tickets,” she said.