"Tech Powerhouse" Japan? ... 'Avatar 2' Booking Cancellations Rush Due to 3D Equipment Shortage

"Screening Disruptions in Japan Could Be a Factor in 'Avatar 2' Box Office Slump"

Still from the movie 'Avatar: The Way of Water'. Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea

The 3D movie 'Avatar: The Way of Water (Avatar 2)' is reportedly facing difficulties due to technical defects ahead of its screening in Japan.

According to foreign media including Bloomberg on the 20th (local time), Japan is struggling to screen 'Avatar 2' properly due to technical issues such as a shortage of 3D equipment. As a result, despite it being the year-end season when the most viewers gather, they are in a situation where they have to give up on 'Avatar 2'.

A theater in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, lowered the frame rate by half to match the level of conventional movies in order to screen 'Avatar 2'. Other theaters in Japan that could not carry out this adjustment officially apologized to viewers who had pre-booked tickets and processed refunds.

Bloomberg reported, "This seems to have happened because the replacement of the latest equipment in Japanese movie theaters has been slow," and pointed out, "Screening disruptions in Japan, where there are many movie enthusiasts, is one factor in the poor box office performance of 'Avatar 2'."

The Swiss media outlet 'Bluewin' said, "The Nagoya theater succeeded in screening 'Avatar 2' at 24 frames per second, but viewers may not get the experience intended by the director."

'Avatar 2' is a 3D movie made at 48 frames per second (fps), which is double the 24 frames per second of conventional movies. Also, the production team of 'Avatar 2' reportedly used advanced technologies such as HFR (High Frame Rate) and HDR (High Dynamic Range) extensively to achieve overwhelming visual beauty.

Meanwhile, 'Avatar 2' is the sequel to 'Avatar,' which was released in 2009. The original 'Avatar' attracted 2 million viewers by the sixth day after its release and 10 million viewers within 38 days. In particular, 'Avatar' ranked first in the all-time worldwide box office with total revenue of 2.9 billion dollars (approximately 3.764 trillion won). 'Avatar 2' invested a huge production budget, riding on the success of its predecessor. The production cost is estimated to be between 350 million and 400 million dollars.