The cinema year 2022 is over and should bring relief within the industry. While this is by no means a record year, two insights from the past 12 months will provide cautious optimism. First: The corona pandemic is apparently over in Germany. At least in terms of cinema. Despite high numbers, some autumn waves and new virus variants, no restrictions were imposed on the operators of cinemas by politicians by the end of the year. It is therefore to be hoped that a mask requirement in the hall and reduced spectator contingents will finally be a thing of the past for the time being. As sensible, scientifically proven and tragically necessary as the measures to combat the corona pandemic were, they had a devastating effect on the cinema business.
Second: The experience of watching a film on a big screen with countless strangers in a darkened room and paying admission fees for it apparently also works in the age of Netflix, Disney Plus and Co. However, cinema has long since ceased to be a sure-fire success. If you want to lure the masses into the cinemas, you have to come up with something.
Avatar – The Way of Water attracts the crowds to the cinemas
In Germany, many people rarely go to the cinema, if at all. If these people end up in a film on the big screen, then they have to deliver. At least visually, that seems to be the case with the sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time. Thanks to its visual impact, Avatar – The Way of Water raises the cinema experience to a new level and should therefore prompt “occasional viewers” to visit a movie palace more often in the future.
A similar phenomenon was already observed in the spring and summer of this year. Top: Gun: Maverick offered an audiovisual experience thanks to brilliantly staged jet fighter action that is only possible in this form in the cinema. No home projector can keep up with that. If word of this positive experience then gets around in the circle of acquaintances, cinemas can look forward to numerous additional visitors who ensure urgently needed sales at the ticket counters and popcorn counters.
Avatar – The Way of Water conquers the top of the annual charts shortly before New Year’s Eve
The Minions – In search of the mini-boss was the only film of the year to attract more than 4 million viewers to the cinemas. The animation adventure from Illumination (The Super Mario Bros. film) was enthroned at number 1 in the German annual charts. On the penultimate day of the year, however, Avatar – The Way of Water passed the babbling, yellow kissable balls.
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Records are still being broken: Avatar 2 is now picking up speed in the USA too
Avatar – The Way of Water is gaining momentum after a difficult start. In the USA, records are still falling. 
Already 4 million visitors! Avatar 2 more successful than Part 1, Titanic and Terminator 2
Avatar – The Way of Water seems to be becoming a real box office phenomenon.
James Cameron’s new blockbuster also broke the magic mark of 4 million viewers. Since cinema tickets for extra-long performances and additional technical features such as HFR, HDR and 3D tend to cost significantly more than a 90-minute family film, Avatar 2 is even more clearly ahead in terms of sales. Whether the blockbuster will recoup its immense production costs despite all its success remains to be seen.
Those: InsideKino
