James Cameron says Avatar 2’s success proves people are sick of streaming and want to go to the cinema again

James Cameron reckons Avatar: The Way of Water has reignited people's love for the cinema.

The sequel has been applauded for its ‘innovation of cinematic visuals’ and it’s safe to say this movie is meant for the big screen.

The film has generated more than USD $1.7 billion (AUD $2.46b) so far at the box office, officially making it the highest-grossing film of 2022 and the seventh-highest grossing movie of all time.

20th Century Studios

Along with the original Avatar and Titanic, Cameron has accomplished the unthinkable: three films in the top 10 most financially successful movies, which is an impressive feat, especially in the age of streaming.

While sitting down with Variety, the filmmaker said The Way of Water's staggering numbers indicates audiences are ready to return to theaters.

He told the outlet: "They’re even going back to theaters in China where they’re having this big COVID surge.

"We’re saying as a society, ‘We need this! We need to go to theaters.’ Enough with the streaming already! I’m tired of sitting on my a**.”

Last year, Quentin Tarantino shared a similar sentiment, believing Netflix had ruined the film industry.

The Pulp Fiction director described a simpler time when movie lovers would head down to Blockbuster with a film in mind to rent, as per Far Out.

Jonas Walzberg/dpa/Alamy Live News

However, now they're spoilt for choice.

He said: “There was a different quality to the video store. You went down to the video store, you looked around, you picked up boxes, you read the back of the boxes — you made a choice.”

But now, in the age of streaming, people are even bored by their own decisions.

He shared: “Maybe you watch it for 10 minutes or 20 minutes, and maybe you start doing something else, and [you decide], ‘Nah, I’m not really into this.’ And then that’s kind of where we’ve fallen into."

He further explained that streaming had changed audiences’ relationship with cinema as they are no longer ‘invested’.

Tarantino said: “You were kind of invested in a way that you’re not invested with electronic technology when it comes to the movie.

"In a weird way, what’s lost is commitment”.

He added: “It’s very sad to me…no ones looking back and they don’t really care”.