COVID restrictions and protocols have been relaxed around the world and are entirely gone in many regions, but certain rules remain in place in Hong Kong. Cinemas in the city have been lobbying for the government to lighten COVID restrictions ahead of the holiday theater season. As per Variety, The Hong Kong Theaters Association cites lost business in a statement asking for pandemic protocols to be relaxed:

The association also pointed out that their box office numbers were down 70 percent in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic levels, and 2021 saw 40 percent less revenue. While Christmas isn’t nearly as big of a holiday in China and Hong Kong as it is in the United States, many western movies released around the holiday season - including Avatar: The Way of Water - are heavily anticipated all over the world. The trade association also pointed out that several cities across China no longer have any theater restrictions at all, so Hong Kong should get the same treatment:

“This pandemic has lasted for three years already. We have lost a total of 267 business days and been operating under restrictions for a total of 739 days. Our industry has suffered a huge blow."

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Currently, movie theaters in Hong Kong can only operate at 85 percent capacity, and all patrons must wear masks and show a health form. These aren’t nearly as strict as earlier protections against the coronavirus, but that extra 15 percent could be instrumental in keeping Hong Kong cinemas in business.

“All restrictions on seating capacity at cinemas in cities including Shenzhen, Wuxi, and Dongcheng were scrapped on Dec. 7. And movie-goers are no longer required to take PCR tests before entering cinemas,”

Many films have been delayed due to COVID-19, including Avatar: The Way of Water. Notably, this movie was filmed in New Zealand, a country with some of the strictest COVID rules in the world, but it also reduced the number of people exposed to the virus. Now that these movies are finally being released in cinemas, their box office numbers will partially rely on whether those cinemas still have COVID rules or not.

Chinese Box Office Could Determine the Avatar Saga’s Future

     20th Century Studios

Not all western films get released in China, so Avatar: The Way of Water being approved for theaters wasn’t guaranteed. However, the CEO of IMAX has claimed high advanced ticket sales in China already, which isn’t too surprising, as the first film was popular in China 13 years ago, a region that served up a significant chunk of Avatar’s box office success. Avatar remains the highest-grossing film of all time, and its sequel has a massive budget. This makes it a risky venture, but if it succeeds, several more Avatar sequels could be released - which have already been written and partially filmed.

The sequel to 2009’s Avatar is being released a little early in Hong Kong, on Dec. 14 - two days before the film will receive a wide release in the rest of China and most of the United States.

Avatar: The Way of Water will release in most theaters on Dec. 16, starring Jake Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet. The screenplay is written by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and James Cameron. Cameron has also directed and co-produced the film, which 20th Century Fox will distribute.