Avatar: Fire And Ash Box Office Success and Franchise Milestones
Avatar: Fire And Ash made a strong debut in North America, grossing an estimated $88 million from 3,800 locations. While this fell slightly below expectations, Disney was pleased with the start of James Cameron's third installment in the Pandora series, especially as it coincided with the start of the holiday season. The film's global debut reached $345 million, with $257 million coming from international markets. This performance helped push the total box office earnings for the Avatar franchise past $5.6 billion.
The opening weekend for Fire And Ash was lower than its predecessor, The Way Of Water, which opened in 2022. However, it is important to note that the franchise typically gains momentum over time. Disney is hopeful that Fire And Ash will surpass $2 billion globally, joining Avatar and The Way Of Water as top-grossing films in the global box office. The movie received positive ratings from audiences, with a 4.5/5 on PostTrak and an A CinemaScore.
Avatar: Fire And Ash features a mix of returning cast members and new additions, including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Kate Winslet. The film performed well in premium formats, with 3D showings contributing significantly to the box office. Imax screenings also played a key role in the film's success, accounting for a substantial portion of the North American gross.
The Avatar franchise continues to dominate the December box office, with Fire And Ash marking one of the top openings of the month. Disney's strong presence in the 2025 box office is evident, with five of the top 10 domestic opening weekends belonging to the studio. The film attracted a diverse audience, with a nearly equal split between male and female viewers.
In other box office news, Zootopia 2 maintained its strong performance, reaching $282.2 million in North America. Is This Thing On?, a comedy drama starring Will Arnett, had a successful limited release in select cities, grossing $145,000 per site. The film, which also features Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper, and Andra Day, is set to expand internationally in February 2026.
Marty Supreme, a film starring Timothée Chalamet, made a splash at the specialty box office, earning the highest per-screen average for a limited release since La La Land in 2016. The movie, based on the life of table tennis player Marty Reisman, sold out screenings in New York and Los Angeles and is set to expand to a wider release on December 25. With a star-studded cast including Gwyneth Paltrow and Fran Drescher, Marty Supreme is generating buzz as an awards contender.