James Cameron says his 'Avatar' sequel has to be 'the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history' just to break even

• "Avatar" director James Cameron says the upcoming sequel was "very fucking" expensive to make.
• He told GQ it needs to be the "third or fourth highest-grossing film in history" to break even.

"Avatar: The Way of Water," the long-awaited sequel to 2009's "Avatar," has a lot riding on its shoulders when it opens in theaters next month.

Its 2009 predecessor is the highest-grossing movie of all time, with $2.9 billion worldwide.

"The Way of Water" needs to follow in the first movie's shoes if it wants to make its money back, according to director James Cameron.

Cameron told GQ in an interview published Monday that "The Way of Water" was "very fucking" expensive to make and that it's the "worst business case in movie history."

"You have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history," Cameron said about the film's potential to make a profit. "That's your threshold. That's your break even."

The first "Avatar" cost $237 million to produce, according to IMDb Pro, and likely millions more to market. On top of that, theaters typically take at least half of a movie's box-office earnings in the US. (That amount varies depending on the market).

The top four highest-grossing movies ever are "Avatar," "Avengers: Endgame," Cameron's "Titanic," and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

If "The Way of Water" needs to land in at least the No. 4 spot, then it would have to pass "The Force Awakens'" total of $2.069 billion globally, which would mean Cameron would have directed four of the three highest-grossing films ever.