Avatar: Fire and Ash Kicks Off with $88 Million Domestic Debut
by Rebecca Rubin
Dec. 21, 2025


Avatar: Fire and Ash ignited with $88 million in its domestic box office debut. It’s a decent start, albeit a significant decline from the opening weekend of 2022’s sequel Avatar: The Way of Water with $134 million.

It debuted in line with projections at the international box office with $257 million, bringing its global tally to $345 million.




David, a kid-friendly take on the story of David and Goliath and follow-up to the TV mini-series “Young David”, collected $22 million from 3,118 screens, enough for second place on domestic charts.

Those ticket sales mark the best three-day debut for the faith-based Angel Studios, surpassing Sound of Freedom, which ignited to $19.6 million and became a sleeper hit with more than $250 million.

David landed an “A” grade on CinemaScore and 70% Rotten Tomatoes average.




The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, started strong in third place with $19 million from 3,015 theaters. Initial crowds were 70% female and 75% above the age of 25, according to PostTrak.

It received a “B” grade on CinemaScore exit polls, which isn’t unusual for a movie that leaves audiences feeling unsettled as they leave the theater.




SpongeBob was No. 4 with $16 million from 3,557 locations. The PG-rated film, based on the hit Nickelodeon television show, cost $64 million to produce.

Initial ticket sales are by far the lowest of the two prior SpongeBob theatrical adventures. The first, 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, launched with $32 million, while the second, 2015’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, opened to $55 million.

Luckily, moviegoers seem to dig Search for SquarePants, which earned an “A-” grade on CinemaScore, the highest of the series.




Disney’s Zootopia 2 rounded out the top five with $14.5 million in its fourth weekend of release.

The animated sequel has generated a massive $282 million domestically and $1.27 billion globally to date, strengthening its standing as the year’s highest-grossing Hollywood release.




Disney’s political dramedy Ella McCay cratered with $480,000 from 2,500 theaters in its sophomore outing. Those ticket sales mark a catastrophic drop of 75% from the film’s $2 million bow, which ranked as one of the worst openings in modern times for Disney.

Ella McCay, which cost $35 million to produce, has grossed a mere $3.5 million so far.




In limited release, A24’s ping-pong dramedy Marty Supreme broke into the top 10 with a mighty $875,000 from just six screens. Those ticket sales translate to $145,933 per theater — the best of the year and highest average since La La Land in 2016, according to A24 — and bode remarkably well for the film’s nationwide expansion on Christmas Day.

https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/avatar-fire-and-ash-box-office-opening-weekend-james-cameron-1236613727/





December 19-21, 2025: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash $88,000,000
2. David $22,017,322
3. The Housemaid $18,950,000
4. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants $16,000,000
5. Zootopia 2 $14,500,000 / $282,809,929
6. Five Nights at Freddy's 2 $7,250,000 / $108,930,140
7. Wicked: For Good $4,300,000 / $320,507,190
8. Marty Supreme $875,000
9. Hamnet $850,000 / $8,760,125
10. Now You See Me: Now You Don't $600,000 / $61,074,974

Avatar: Fire and Ash Adds $88 Million over Christmas Weekend, Marty Supreme Scores A24’s Second-Biggest Debut with $27 Million
by Rebecca Rubin
Dec. 28, 2025


James Cameron’s sci-fi threequel Avatar: Fire and Ash remained comfortably atop the domestic box office over the Christmas stretch.

Meanwhile a trio of new holiday releases, A24’s sports dramedy Marty Supreme, the Focus Features musical tear-jerker Song Sung Blue and Sony’s action comedy Anaconda, helped keep multiplexes bustling… but they weren’t enough to fend off the Disney animated sequel Zootopia 2, which returned to No. 2 in its fifth weekend of release.



Avatar: Fire and Ash added a solid $64 million over the traditional weekend and $88 million since the Christmas holiday on Thursday. The three-day figure is a scant 28% decline from its $89 million domestic debut, a stronger hold than its predecessor, 2022’s The Way of Water, which dropped by 52% after a larger $134 million debut.

So far, Avatar: Fire and Ash has generated $217.7 million in North America and $760 million worldwide after two weekends of release.




Disney’s animated juggernaut Zootopia 2 outpaced the newcomers with $20 million over the weekend and $25.2 million since Christmas on Thursday.

Since its debut around Thanksgiving, the PG film has generated $320 million domestically and $1.42 billion globally, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood release of the year.





Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet as a fictional tennis table champ, enjoyed the best debut among newcomers in third place with $17.4 million from 2,600 theaters over the weekend and $27.1 million through the four-day holiday frame.

Domestic ticket sales stand at $28.3 million after a weekend in limited release.




Lionsgate’s psychological thriller The Housemaid, notched the No. 4 spot with $15.4 million over the weekend and $18.9 million through the four-day holiday period.

It has earned an impressive $46.6 million domestically and $64.9 million worldwide to date.




Anaconda landed at No. 5 with $14.6 million over the weekend and $23.7 million since Christmas. The movie also opened internationally with $20 million for a global start of $43.7 million.

A $45 million-budgeted meta-reboot, critics and audiences were mixed as it has a 51% Rotten Tomatoes average and “B” grade on CinemaScore.




Song Sung Blue opened in eighth place with $7.6 million over the weekend and $12 million through the four-day holiday frame. Craig Brewer directed the $30 million-budgeted movie, featuring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the true story of two down-on-their luck musicians who form a Neil Diamond tribute band.

Opening weekend crowds dug the film, which earned an “A” grade on CinemaScore, the best marks among the new releases. In terms of ticket buyers, 65% were female, while 53% of audiences were above the age of 55.

https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/avatar-3-box-office-christmas-marty-supreme-a24-opening-weekend-record-1236618660/




December 26-28, 2025: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash $64,000,000 / $217,693,465
2. Zootopia 2 $20,000,000 / $321,381,406
3. Marty Supreme $15,597,850 / $28,291,996
4. The Housemaid $15,400,000 / $46,460,000
5. Anaconda $23,650,000
6. David $12,691,811 / $49,753,130
7. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants $11,200,000 / $33,175,551
8. Song Sung Blue $12,025,455
9. Wicked: For Good $5,260,000 / $331,623,190
10. Five Nights at Freddy's 2 $4,400,000 / $118,969,215

Avatar: Fire and Ash Leads in First Weekend of 2026 with $40 Million, The Housemaid Surpasses $75 Million
by Rebecca Rubin
Jan. 4, 2026


Avatar: Fire and Ash is towering over the domestic box office during the first weekend of the new year.

James Cameron’s latest Na’vi adventure has collected $40 million from 3,825 North American theaters in its third weekend of release, declining 35% from the busy post-Christmas frame. Those ticket sales are pushing the third Avatar to $306 million domestically and $1.08 billion globally after just 18 days in theaters.

Fire and Ash crossed the coveted billion-dollar benchmark slower than 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which took 14 days, and the original Avatar, which took 17 days. Now it’s a matter of where Fire and Ash will top out at the box office — and whether the third installment has the stamina to surpass $2 billion like its predecessors.





Disney’s Zootopia 2 remained a force at No. 2 with $19 million from 3,285 venues, marking a minimal 4% drop from the previous weekend. After six weekends of release, the beloved animated sequel has grossed a mighty $363 million domestically and $1.588 billion globally.

Zootopia 2 recently outperformed Frozen 2 ($1.45 billion) to become Walt Disney Animation’s highest-grossing movie of all time. That means the announcement of a third trip to the animal-filled metropolis can’t be too far off.





Lionsgate’s psychological thriller The Housemaid rose to No. 3 with $15.2 million from 3,070 screens, a barely-there 1% dip from the prior weekend.

The R-rated film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has earned an impressive $75.7 million in North America and $133 million worldwide against a $35 million budget.





Fourth place went to A24’s Marty Supreme with $12.5 million from 2,887 locations, declining just 30% from the post-Christmas frame. So far, the Timothee Chalamet-led ping-pong dramedy has generated $56 million in North America, a great result for the original arthouse release.

With those ticket sales, Marty Supreme has outgrossed the director Josh Safdie’s prior film Uncut Gems ($50 million globally) and ranks among A24’s biggest movies of all time.

However, it cost $70 million to produce, making it the most expensive film to date for A24. It’ll need to remain a draw into the new year to justify its budget.





Sony’s action comedy Anaconda remained in fifth place with $10 million from 3,509 theaters, a drop of 31% from the prior weekend.

After two weekends of release, the meta reboot of 1997’s Anaconda, this one starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, has grossed $45.8 million in North America and $88 million globally against a $45 million production budget.





Another Christmas release, the Focus Features musical drama Song Sung Blue, slid to the No. 8 spot with $5.87 million from 2,705 venues, a scant 17% drop.

So far, the tear-jerker, led by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as performers in a Neil Diamond cover band, has grossed $25 million domestically and $30 million worldwide against a $30 million budget.

https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/box-office-avatar-3-leads-2026-1236623079/




January 2-4, 2026: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash $40,029,348 / $306,024,602
2. Zootopia 2 $19,034,969 / $363,647,129
3. The Housemaid $14,865,000 / $75,724,000
4. Marty Supreme $12,554,127 / $56,000,736
5. Anaconda $10,000,000 / $45,860,645
6. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants $8,200,000 / $57,634,000
7. David $8,002,169 / $70,112,578
8. Song Sung Blue $5,810,000 / $24,943,010
9. Wicked: For Good $3,250,000 / $339,869,725
10. Five Nights at Freddy's 2 $2,700,000 / $125,220,660

Avatar: Fire and Ash Leads for Fourth Weekend with $21 Million as Primate Debuts to $11 Million
by Rebecca Rubin
Jan. 11, 2026


James Cameron is almost singlehandedly keeping cinemas afloat in the new year as Avatar: Fire and Ash leads the box office for the fourth consecutive weekend. His third Na’vi adventure generated $21.3 million from 3,700 theaters between Friday and Sunday, bringing its total to $342.6 million domestically and $1.23 billion globally.

Those ticket sales were twice as much as the next biggest films, including newcomer Primate and holiday holdover The Housemaid. Those two films are neck-in-neck for second place, with each estimated to generate $11 million over the weekend.

(Final tallies will be reported on Monday)





Primate appears to have the slight edge over the competition with $11.3 million from 2,964 venues in its opening weekend. The film also earned $2.1 million internationally for a global start of $13.4 million.

Moviegoers appear mixed on the $21 million-budgeted film, which received a “B-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls.





Lionsgate’s psychological thriller The Housemaid, which looks to take the No. 3 spot with $11.2 million, has continued to draw impressive crowds. After four weekends of release, the R-rated film has earned $94.15 million in North America and $192 million worldwide.

It’s an especially great result considering it cost just $35 million to make.





Zootopia 2 dropped to fourth place with $10.1 million in its seventh weekend of release.

The animated sequel has been a box office powerhouse with $378.8 million domestically and $1.65 billion to date, ranking as Walt Disney Animation’s highest-grossing movie of all time.





Another new release, Lionsgate’s disaster sequel Greenland 2: Migration with Gerard Butler, rounded out the top five with $8.5 million from 2,710 locations.

The original film, 2020’s Greenland, debuted on demand in the U.S. because of COVID, but became a modest hit overseas with $52 million. The sequel was produced by STX for $90 million; Lionsgate acquired the domestic rights for $10 million.

Greenland 2, which earned a tepid “B-” grade on CinemaScore, follows a family who search to find a new home after a comet strike that decimated most of the planet.





Sixth place went to A24’s Marty Supreme with $7.3 million from 2,512 theaters, declining around 38% from the prior weekend. Those ticket sales take the Timothee Chalamet-led ping pong dramedy past $70 million in North America and $84 million globally, ranking as one of A24’s biggest movies of all time.

Marty Supreme cost $70 million to produce, the most expensive film to date for A24, so it’ll need to stick around through the winter to rationalize its budget. (Theaters get to keep roughly half of revenues.)

However, awards attention — Chalamet just won the Critics Choice for best actor, as well as the Golden Globe, so he will likely find himself in the Oscar race — helps justify the studio’s spend in ways beyond the balance sheet.





Elsewhere, Searchlight’s Is This Thing On? brought in $2.3 million while expanding to 1,475 theaters.

The film, directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Will Arnett as a divorcee who turns to stand-up comedy, has grossed $3.4 million to date.




Another awards hopeful, Neon’s dark comedy No Other Choice, has generated $1.3 million from just 147 theaters over the weekend.

The film, from acclaimed South Korean director Park Chan-wook, has amassed an impressive $3.4 million while in limited release.




Meanwhile, Angel Studios debuted I Was a Stranger, which earned $1.2 million from 1,400 theaters to land at No. 15 on domestic charts.

The PG-13 film, which carries a $6 million budget, takes place after tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo.

https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/box-office-avatar-fire-and-ash-leads-fourth-weekend-1236628272/





January 9-11, 2026: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash $21,502,272 / $342,792,800
2. Primate $11,155,908
3. The Housemaid $10,910,461 / $93,864,614
4. Zootopia 2 $10,004,157 / $378,748,741
5. Greenland 2: Migration $8,401,148
6. Marty Supreme $7,633,062 / $70,133,369
7. Anaconda $5,001,530 / $54,174,319
8. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants $3,872,799 / $63,703,585
9. Song Sung Blue $3,113,870 / $31,261,005
10. David $2,984,324 / $75,071,350

Avatar: Fire and Ash Remains No. 1 in Fifth Weekend as 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Stumbles with $13 Million Debut
by Rebecca Rubin
Jan. 18, 2026


28 Years Later: The Bone Temple proved to be no match for Avatar: Fire and Ash, which remained No. 1 at the domestic box office in its fifth weekend of release.

The Bone Temple stumbled with $13 million over the weekend and a projected $15 million in its four-day debut over Martin Luther King Jr. Day — below expectations of $20 million to $22 million over the long weekend. The film also collected $16.2 million from 61 overseas territories, bringing its global tally to $31.1 million.



The fourth installment in Sony’s dystopian 28 Days Later franchise has great reviews and word of mouth (a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls), so it’s possible the studio had overestimated the public’s appetite for the infected.

After all, The Bone Temple was released less than a year after its zombie-infested predecessor, 28 Years Later, which opened last June to $30 million over the traditional three-day weekend.







Avatar: Fire and Ash continued its reign with $13.3 million over the weekend and $17.2 million through the four-day frame. So far, James Cameron’s third Na’vi adventure has generated $363.5 million domestically and $1.31 billion globally.

Although a theatrical juggernaut, Avatar: Fire and Ash is running out of steam faster than the first two films, 2009’s Avatar and 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which stand as two of the biggest movies in history with $2.9 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively.






Zootopia 2 was No. 3 with $9 million over the weekend and $11.6 million through Monday in its eighth (!) weekend of release. The animated sequel has remained a box office force for two months with $392 million domestically and $1.7 billion globally.

It now stands as the highest-grossing animated Hollywood film of all time, ahead of Inside Out 2 ($1.69 billion).






Fourth place went to The Housemaid with $8.5 million over the weekend and an estimated $10.1 million over the four-day frame, another impressive turnout for Lionsgate’s psychological thriller.

The R-rated film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has grossed $108.7 million in North America and $247.3 million globally against a $35 million budget, a very encouraging result at a tough time for mid-budget movies.






Marty Supreme captured fifth place with $5.4 million over the weekend and a projected $6.6 million through Monday’s holiday. The R-rated film has earned $80.8 million at the domestic box office, surpassing Everything Everywhere All at Once ($77 million) as A24’s highest-grossing film in North America.

Marty Supreme, which has only been released in select international territories so far, has grossed $17 million overseas and $97 million globally.






Outside of the top 10, Neon’s dark comedy No Other Choice has generated $2.2 million over the weekend and a projected $2.8 million through Monday from 695 theaters.

The film, directed by acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, has amassed $6.9 million domestically to date while slowly expanding its theatrical footprint.






Chloe Zhao’s Shakespearean tragedy Hamnet added $1.3 million over the weekend and a projected $1.6 million through Monday while expanding to 718 theaters.

The film has collected a strong $15 million domestically during its platform rollout. Overseas, the film has made $12.9 million for a global tally of $27.5 million.






Another new release, Gus Van Sant’s crime thriller Dead Man’s Wire, collected $1 million over the weekend and $1.2 million from 1,101 theaters in its nationwide expansion.

The well-reviewed movie depicts the real-life 1977 hostage situation and stars Bill Skarsgård as a small-town entrepreneur-turned-outlaw folk hero who kidnaps his bank mortgage holder and demands $5 million for allegedly wronging him.

This is the first release for Row K, which launched in August 2025 and has several films on the calendar for 2026.






Meanwhile, a major re-release, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy — which returned to theaters for the 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring — earned $8 million from 1,680 theaters over the weekend and a projected $9.5 million through Monday.

Fathom Entertainment set each film to play on a particular day, with Fellowship of the Ring generating $3.58 million on Friday, The Two Towers grossing $2.4 million on Saturday, and The Return of the King bringing in $2 million on Sunday.

Despite record pre-sales, those ticket sales are slightly behind the company’s last re-release in 2024, which grossed $8.2 million over the traditional weekend.

https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/avatar-fire-and-ash-box-office-first-place-fifth-weekend-28-years-later-bone-temple-misses-expectations-1236634237/





January 16-19, 2026 - MLK Jr. Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash $17,200,000 / $367,410,340
2. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple $15,000,000
3. Zootopia 2 $12,000,000 / $393,242,207
4. The Housemaid $10,100,000 / $108,726,064
5. Marty Supreme $6,664,127 / $80,839,421
6. Primate $6,000,000 / $20,595,712
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (re-release) $4,019,000
8. Greenland 2: Migration $3,935,000 / $14,691,318
9. Anaconda $3,800,000 / $59,691,451
10. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants $2,975,000 / $67,793,384