The Most Mocked Star Wars Prequel Gets Bulldozed by ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ at the Box Office

5 days ago 13

Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

It took less than 20 days of release in theaters worldwide for director James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash to pass the coveted $1 billion mark at the global box office. Of this massive total, more than $300 million has come from domestic theaters. Avatar 3 is still trailing both its record-breaking predecessors and is likely to conclude its run with lower hauls than theirs. However, it has exceeded expectations so far and is on track to generate at least $1.5 billion globally. This would make it one of the 20 highest-grossing films of all time — a terrific achievement for any film in the world. However, Avatar 3 has particularly large shoes to fill, with the first Avatar being the highest-grossing movie of all time, and Avatar: The Way of Water holding on to the number three spot on the all-time list.

Domestically, Avatar 3’s $311 million running haul puts it on the cusp of entering the all-time top 100 list. The movie has now overtaken arguably the most ridiculed Star Wars prequel, Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones. Released in 2002, the movie served as a sequel to Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, the long-awaited prequel to George Lucas’ generation-defining space opera franchise. Attack of the Clones was the first movie in the series to feature an adult Anakin Skywalker, as played by Hayden Christensen. The movie followed his romantic relationship with Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala, against the backdrop of a brewing civil war. It remains one of the lowest-rated films of the entire franchise, ranking ahead of only Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and The Phantom Menace on Rotten Tomatoes.

'Avatar 3' Is the Lowst-Rated Movie of the Trilogy on Rotten Tomatoes

It was particularly criticized for its poor dialogue and performances. Attack of the Clones currently holds a 62% score on the aggregator website, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones benefits from an increased emphasis on thrilling action, although it's undercut by ponderous plot points and underdeveloped characters.” The movie was a commercial hit, grossing over $650 million worldwide against a reported budget of $115 million. The prequel trilogy concluded with the relatively better-received Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith in 2005. Avatar 3 opened to similarly lukewarm reviews; it currently holds the lowest RT score of Cameron’s trilogy. Despite the so-so critical response, the film seems to have struck a chord with audiences. It’s playing in theaters worldwide. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.