'Avatar 2' star Zoe Saldaña sets new box-office record - Los Angeles Times
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Zoe Saldaña is first actor to star in four films that broke $2 billion at box office

A woman with dark brown hair and bangs combed down smiles and waves to the camera
Zoe Saldaña attends the 2022 premiere of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in Los Angeles.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision/Associated Press)
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All hail the queen of the film franchise, Zoe Saldaña, who just made box-office history as the first actor to star in four movies that grossed more than $2 billion worldwide.

This past weekend, Disney and 20th Century Studios’ “Avatar: The Way of Water” entered the $2-billion club, becoming Saldaña’s fourth film to do so. According to measurement firm Comscore, Saldaña’s four highest-grossing movies are 2009’s “Avatar” ($2.87 billion), 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.8 billion), 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” ($2.05 billion) and 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($2 billion).

Over the years, Saldaña, 44, has established herself as one of the world’s most prolific modern movie stars, appearing in blockbuster film franchises including “Avatar,” “The Avengers,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Star Trek.”

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In the “Avatar” movies, Saldaña portrays Neytiri, a fierce Na’vi warrior native to Pandora. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she plays Gamora, a no-nonsense member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

“This is a major accomplishment and an example of a perfect career trajectory reflecting the solid role choices made by [Saldaña] and her team,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

“If you consider how many people around the world have seen the actor on-screen, it is truly mind-boggling given the near $10 billion earned by these films collectively and the footprint of impressions this represents.”

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