'Avatar' sequel misses estimates, but theater executives not concerned: 'Moviegoers are waiting'Disney's (DIS) "Avatar: The Way of Water" delivered director James Cameron his first $100-million opening weekend — but missed industry expectations of $170 million-plus.IMAX (IMAX) CEO Richard Gelfond told Yahoo Finance: "'Avatar: The Way or Water' is an incredible film with an A CinemaScore and great word of mouth, and based on our strong pre-sales through the coming weeks it’s a safe bet that many moviegoers are waiting until the holidays to catch it on the with the best cinematic experience possible — namely, IMAX.""James Cameron films have a well-known history of long legs at the global box office, and we anticipate that this one will be no different," the executive added."The stakes couldn't be higher," Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian previously told Yahoo Finance, noting the film's rare China release will be a "big benefit" as it looks to add box-office dollars.Coupled with the lack of Hollywood-approved films, China's theatrical ecosystem has been a drag for U.S. films, with the country's box office down 35% compared to the same point in 2021, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway cited by Variety."