With less than three days until the release of "Avatar 3," the once-unstoppable box office appeal of the highest-grossing film franchise in history appears to be fading in the Chinese market.
Directed by James Cameron, "Avatar 3" began presales on December 12 and is set for official release on December 19, with an early screening starting at 18:00 on December 18. The film runs for 198 minutes. Over the past five days since presales began, the movie has added roughly 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) in daily ticket sales. As of 22:00 on December 16, total presales and early screenings for "Avatar 3" exceeded 51 million yuan, according to Maoyan Professional.
However, compared to its predecessor "Avatar 2," presales for "Avatar 3" have nearly halved. In December 2022, during the pandemic when less than 70% of domestic cinemas were operational, "Avatar 2" surpassed 100 million yuan in presales and early screenings just four days after presales began—six days before its release.
The underwhelming presales for "Avatar 3" stem from audience concerns, including high ticket prices deterring potential viewers. Some moviegoers have openly criticized the pricing as "discouraging." In Chengdu, ticket prices range from 17.8 yuan to 280 yuan, with limited low-priced promotional seats available. Premium formats like IMAX 3D and CINITY LED command higher prices, with some IMAX screenings costing up to 180–200 yuan. During early screenings, certain theaters charged as much as 228 yuan per ticket for premium formats, while standard screenings remained under 100 yuan.
CINITY LED, introduced by China Film Group in 2023, integrates 4K, 3D, high brightness, high frame rate, and wide color gamut for an enhanced viewing experience, justifying its premium pricing. Nonetheless, many netizens have complained about the steep costs, while others criticized the lackluster storytelling of the previous installment and its failure to match the groundbreaking visuals of the first film. The three-hour runtime and mixed reception of "Avatar 2" have also led some viewers to adopt a wait-and-see approach, stating they will "wait for reviews before deciding."
Despite the backlash, some fans argue that premium formats are worth the price. Notably, "Avatar 2" previously saw tickets priced above 300 yuan. "Avatar 3" reunites director James Cameron with cast members Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington, while its Chinese dub features A-list stars like Deng Chao, Sun Li, Huang Xuan, and Zhang Ziyi.
James Cameron's films dominate three of the top four spots on the global all-time box office chart, with the original "Avatar" leading at 21.2 billion yuan, followed by "Avatar 2" (16.825 billion yuan) and "Titanic" (16.423 billion yuan).
As "Avatar 3" nears release, related stocks have drawn attention. Bona Film Group secured profit participation rights in the film through its subsidiary’s partnership with TSG Entertainment Finance LLC, entitling it to a share of global box office revenue. However, Bona has repeatedly cautioned investors that the film’s performance remains uncertain and its stake is minor, with no significant short-term impact expected.
Prior to presales, Bona Film Group’s stock surged with four limit-up gains in five trading days, only to hit two consecutive跌停s on December 15 and 16 after presales began.
As China’s first privately owned film distributor, Bona has invested in over 300 films grossing 60 billion yuan and operates more than 100 cinemas nationwide. While its patriotic blockbusters like "Operation Mekong" and "The Battle at Lake Changjin" previously delivered strong returns, its 2025 Lunar New Year release "Dragon Strike" flopped with less than 400 million yuan, forcing a withdrawal and subsequent unsuccessful re-release in August.
In a December 14 risk disclosure, Bona reported a 1.29% year-on-year revenue increase to 972 million yuan for the first three quarters of 2025, alongside widening net losses of 1.109 billion yuan—up 213.11% year-on-year—attributed to "Dragon Strike’s" underperformance. The company has now accumulated over 2.6 billion yuan in losses from 2022 to Q3 2025, with annual losses escalating sharply.
(Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Investors should proceed at their own risk.)
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