Avatar 2’s cutting-edge technology has ‘crashed’ some movie projectors in this country

A cinema in Japan had to reduce the frame rate from 48 fps to 24 fps while screening Avatar 2.

Despite being the biggest release of all time in Japan, Avatar: The Way of the Water failed to get the top ranking last weekend. In addition, several cinemas in the country reported technical problems, with one in central Japan forced to reduce its 48 fps frame rate to 24 fps, Bloomberg reported.

Avatar fans were turned away from other screenings and received refunds. Some of the cinema chains cited by fans as having problems, including United Cinemas Co., Toho Col and Tokyu Corp. declined to comment on the issue.

Avatar 2 is causing problems for theaters

Not many cinemas support 48 fps high frame rate (HFR) playback, as they require the latest projectors or upgrading existing ones. Normally cinemas would be aware of what formats they can play and plan accordingly. But HFR has been used so little that it would be understandable if errors occur.

Avatar: Path of Water is available in several formats, including 2D 48 fps, 3D 48 fps and regular 24 fps. If you see the 48 fps version, it only uses HFR technology for the action sequences, while dialogue and slower scenes are reduced to 24 fps (by duplicating frames).

After a wait of about 13 years, Avatar 2 has arrived in theaters, and people have flocked to see The Way of Water as James Cameron envisioned it, on the big screen. Which is the story told by the box office of the most anticipated film of 2022.

According to early statistics, Avatar: The Way of Water, or “The Way of the Water” as the Romanians call it, has topped $400 million in global box office receipts after grossing $180 million in every corner of the globe on Friday alone.