Avatar: The Way Of The Water is heading for a huge advance driven by South India and a high average ticket price. The total advances for the weekend were already at 30 crore nett with one day to go. This can double up on the final day but its unlikely here as the advance has been open for some time rather than a week before release. The advance will cross 40 crore nett and maybe even 45 crore nett and that puts it behind Avengers - Endgame only for Hollywood India.

The film will be historic in South India and is likely to break all records on the first day and it could be by big margins. Avengers Endgame accumulated more than 100 crore nett in South India which is a huge number (in terms of genuine numbers) and Avatar: The Way Of The Water could break the shackles further in the South if the content delivers.  The advance is extraordinary is not only extraordinary in the main centres of South (Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai) but also smaller cities like Vijayawada, Coimbatore, Kurnool, Tirupati etc.

The Hindi circuits have also seen a good advance but here its just good and not extraordinary. Its better than all the Hindi releases post pandemic except Brahmastra, actually its the best advance outside KGF 2 and Brahmastra but as the film is competing and even beating Avengers Endgame in South and Hindi circuits are like Infinity War and Spiderman - No Way Home it makes it looks less. The first day advances are actually short of Infinity War and Spiderman - No Way Home in Hindi circuits.

But if we take out the South factor and just compare what has happened at the box office in Mumbai and Delhi / UP over the past year then the advance here can also be called excellent. The plus is that across Mumbai and North India the advances are very strong over Saturday and Saturday and at some cinemas there is hardly a difference in Friday advance and Saturday advance which goes very well for the film for the weekend.

The opening is no doubt going to big and how high it goes will depend on where South india lands and how high does actually go and how far can the current audience take in Hindi circuits. The likes of central and Eastern India will be lagging and here it will be all about current pushing the film.