\u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash\u201d ignited with $88 million in its domestic box office debut. It\u2019s a decent start, albeit a significant decline from the opening weekend of 2022\u2019s sequel \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water\u201d with $134 million. However, a larger question looms about the financial fate of the big-budget blockbuster: How will James Cameron\u2019s third trip to Pandora hold over the holiday season?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s important because \u201cAvatar\u201d films are known not for fiery opening weekends, but rather for their unparalleled box office staying power. The original 2009 epic \u201cAvatar\u201d debuted to $77 million domestically and remained in first place for seven consecutive weekends, eventually climbing to $760 million in North America and $2.92 billion worldwide. Not to be outdone, the sequel also managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot for seven weekends and ended up earning $688 million domestically and $2.3 billion globally.<\/p>\n
More from Variety<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash\u201d debuted in line with projections at the international box office with $257 million, bringing its global tally to $345 million. That\u2019s one of the biggest worldwide debuts of the year while also registering dramatically behind the second film\u2019s $435 million global debut.<\/p>\n Heading into the weekend, Disney and 20th Century\u2019s \u201cAvatar 3\u201d was projected to earn $90 million to $105 million in its domestic debut. Based on initial ticket sales, the otherworldly adventure appears to be experiencing diminishing returns. It\u2019s unclear, however, what exactly diminishing returns will look like for the follow-up to two of the highest-grossing films in history. \u201cAvatar\u201d adventures carry enormous budgets, costing at least $350 million to produce and millions more to market. Cameron once said that \u201cThe Way of Water\u201d<\/a> needed to become one of the\u00a0top-grossing releases of all time<\/a>\u00a0to break even. (It did.) The newest \u201cAvatar\u201d doesn\u2019t necessarily need to surpass the $2 billion mark to be commercially successful, but it\u2019s safe to assume that \u201cFire and Ash\u201d needs to become a box office behemoth to justify its massive price tag.<\/p>\n Premium screens, including Imax and 3D, accounted for a significant 66% of ticket sales. Meanwhile, 38% of opening weekend crowds were 25 or younger, signaling the franchise isn\u2019t just appealing to adults. \u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash\u201d has several other factors that\u2019ll work in its favor, including an \u201cA\u201d grade on CinemaScore exit polls, repeat viewing over the upcoming Christmas stretch (which is the most popular time of year for moviegoing) and, of course, Cameron\u2019s unmatched track record. Cameron is the only filmmaker with three movies to generate more than $2 billion, the other being \u201cTitanic.\u201d Although a daunting 3-hour-plus runtime has never deterred audiences for \u201cAvatar\u201d installments,\u201d the newest film\u2019s three hours and 17 minute length does limit the number of showtimes per day. And while \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water\u201d was plagued by endless release date delays, those postponements ended up contributing to pent-up demand over 13 years. The third entry is arriving a comparatively short three years after its predecessor.<\/p>\n \u201cOpenings are not what the\u00a0\u2018Avatar\u2019\u00a0movies are about. It\u2019s what they do\u00a0after\u00a0they open that made them the No. 2 and three biggest films of all time,\u201d says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. \u201cIt will be several weeks before we really know how well the film is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash\u201d loomed large over domestic box office charts, but it wasn\u2019t the only new nationwide release. In a surprising finish, Angel Studios animated biblical musical drama \u201cDavid\u201d emerged ahead of two other newcomers, Lionsgate\u2019s psychological thriller \u201cThe Housemaid\u201d and Paramount\u2019s \u201cThe SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDavid,\u201d a kid-friendly take on the story of David and Goliath and follow-up to the TV mini-series \u201cYoung 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 \u201cSound of Freedom,\u201d which ignited to $19.6 million and became a sleeper hit with more than $250 million. Ticket buyers were fonder of \u201cDavid\u201d compared to critics; the family film landed an \u201cA\u201d grade on CinemaScore and 70% Rotten Tomatoes average.<\/p>\n \u201cFamilies are searching for values-driven films that honor hope,\u201d said Angel\u2019s head of theatrical Brandon Purdie. \u201cWe look forward to a robust theatrical run as this popular animated musical continues to warm hearts and inspire families this Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Housemaid\u201d 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. They gave the film a \u201cB\u201d grade on CinemaScore exit polls, which isn\u2019t unusual for a movie that leaves audiences feeling unsettled as they leave the theater. Lionsgate is hoping the film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, becomes a breakout hit among women in the vein of \u201cA Simple Favor,\u201d \u201cAnyone but You,\u201d or \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d (but\u00a0without the off-screen drama<\/a>). Directed by Paul Feig (\u201cBridesmaids\u201d) and adapted from the best-selling novel by Freida McFadden, the R-rated film follows an ex-con who becomes the live-in maid for an ultra-wealthy family.<\/p>\n \u201cSpongeBob\u201d 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 \u201cSpongeBob\u201d theatrical adventures. The first, 2004\u2019s \u201cThe SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, launched with $32 million, while the second, 2015\u2019s \u201cThe SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water,\u201d opened to $55 million. Luckily moviegoers seem to dig \u201cSearch for SquarePants,\u201d which earned an \u201cA-\u201d grade on CinemaScore, the highest of the series.<\/p>\n Disney\u2019s \u201cZootopia 2\u201d 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\u2019s highest grossing Hollywood release.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Disney\u2019s political dramedy \u201cElla McCay\u201d cratered with $480,000 from 2,500 theaters in its sophomore outing. Those ticket sales mark a catastrophic drop of 75% from the film\u2019s $2 million bow, which ranked as one of the worst openings in modern times for Disney. \u201cElla McCay,\u201d which cost $35 million to produce, has grossed a mere $3.5 million so far.<\/p>\n In limited release, A24\u2019s ping-pong dramedy \u201cMarty Supreme\u201d broke into the top 10 with a mighty $875,000 from just six screens. Those ticket sales translate to $145,933 per theater \u2014 the best of the year and highest average since \u201cLa La Land\u201d in 2016, according to A24 \u2014 and bode remarkably well for the film\u2019s nationwide expansion on Christmas Day. Thanks in no small part to star Timothee Chalamet\u2019s press tour for the ages<\/a>, A24 says the film played to \u201csold-out, raucous crowds all weekend,\u201d including exclusive 70mm engagements. Josh Safdie (\u201cUncut Gems\u201d) directed the 1950s-set \u201cMarty Supreme,\u201d which follows\u00a0the fictional table-tennis champ Marty Mauser\u2019s pursuit of greatness. It carries a budget of roughly $70 million.<\/p>\n This weekend is expected to kick off one of the busiest stretches for movie theaters. In the coming days, exhibitors will add a number of releases, including the Focus Features musical drama \u201cSong Sung Blue\u201d starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, and Sony\u2019s disaster comedy \u201cAnaconda\u201d with Jack Black and Paul Rudd, to their marquees.<\/p>\n Heading into the final stretch of 2025, overall domestic ticket sales are hovering at $8.38 billion, just 1.3% ahead of last year as well as 22.4% behind 2019, according to Comscore. Despite two billion-dollar hits, May\u2019s \u201cLilo & Stitch\u201d and November\u2019s \u201cZootopia 2,\u201d and several surprises like \u201cA Minecraft Movie\u201d and \u201cDemon Slayer,\u201d there were too many big-budget blockbusters that didn\u2019t pull their weight. (\u201cMission: Impossible \u2013 The Final Reckoning\u201d and all three of Disney\u2019s Marvel adventures, we\u2019re looking at you.) So Hollywood is closely watching to find out whether these holiday offerings can help push the year\u2019s revenues past the\u00a0projected $9 billion mark<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe final two weeks of the year are shaping up to be among the most crowded and exciting periods in recent memory,\u201d says Comscore\u2019s head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian, noting that \u201ctheaters and studios had an exhilarating and, at times, tumultuous journey in 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash\u201d ignited with $88 million in its domestic box office debut. 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