- James Cameron earned at least $95 million for "Avatar: The Way of Water," Forbes reported.
- He was the No. 8 highest-paid entertainer of 2022, according to Forbes.
James Cameron reportedly earned a massive check for "Avatar: The Way of Water."
The director made at least $95 million for his work on the movie, according to Forbes, based on a deal that nabbed him a portion of the movie's box-office revenue, as well as bonuses for passing certain box office thresholds.
Representatives for Cameron did not immediately return a request for comment.
The long-awaited "Avatar" sequel has earned $2.2 billion worldwide, including $647 million in the US, since opening in theaters about two months ago. It's now the fourth-biggest movie of all time, in terms of worldwide gross.
Cameron's own "Titanic" is No. 3, and his first "Avatar" film is No. 1 ("Avengers: Endgame" is the second-biggest movie ever).
The $95 million Cameron earned for "The Way of Water" made him the No. 8 highest-paid entertainer of the past year, according to Forbes' list.
It's unclear if Cameron's "Way of Water" deal also included a share of home-entertainment sales, but if so, his pay day from the film could grow over as it is rolled out on streaming, DVD, and more.
He earned $350 million for the first "Avatar," based largely on box-office and home-entertainment sales, Deadline reported in 2010.
"The Way of Water" has performed well enough at the box office that the planned third, fourth, and fifth "Avatar" movies will be made and released, Cameron said in January.