At a Glance
- Avatar: Fire and Ash earned $17.8 million over the four-day holiday weekend, topping the North American box office for the fifth straight week.
- The sci-fi sequel has now surpassed $1.3 billion worldwide, though it trails the record-setting pace of its predecessors.
- Overall box office revenue hit $104.8 million for the extended weekend, pushing the year-to-date total to $471.1 million-an 18% jump over last year.
Why it matters: Holiday turnout signals renewed audience appetite for theaters, bolstering studios betting on big-budget franchises and family titles.
James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash kept its crown over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday frame, pulling in an estimated $17.8 million from Friday through Monday and pushing its global haul past $1.3 billion, according to data released Monday.
Despite the robust total, the third entry in the Pandora saga remains behind the astronomical runs of the franchise’s earlier installments. The original Avatar (2009) still holds the all-time global record with more than $2.9 billion, while 2022’s The Way of Water ranks third historically at over $2.3 billion.
Weekend Winners
- Avatar: Fire and Ash – $17.8 million (fifth weekend)
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – $15 million (opening)
- Zootopia 2 – $12 million (eighth weekend)
- The Housemaid – $10.2 million (fifth weekend)
- Marty Supreme – $6.6 million (fifth weekend)
Horror newcomer Primate claimed sixth place with $6 million in its sophomore session.
Rounding out the top 10:
| Film | Weekend Gross |
|---|---|
| Greenland 2: Migration | $4.1 million |
| Anaconda | $4 million |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (re-release) | $3.8 million |
| SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants | $3.1 million |
Industry Momentum
The combined four-day box office totaled $104.8 million, Comscore reported, lifting domestic revenues for the year to $471.1 million. That figure stands roughly 18% ahead of the same point last year, underscoring a rebound in multiplex traffic after weather-impacted starts to 2024.
Sophia A. Reynolds noted that strong holdover performance from family titles like Zootopia 2-still drawing $12 million in its eighth weekend-has helped stabilize attendance between tent-pole releases.
Franchise Fatigue?
While Avatar: Fire and Ash continues to lead, its pace raises questions about whether the series can maintain the exponential growth seen between the first two films. Industry trackers point out that even with premium-format ticket prices, weekly drops have steepened slightly compared with The Way of Water.
Still, crossing $1.3 billion in under six weeks positions the sequel among the pandemic era’s fastest earners, trailing only last year’s Spider-Verse finale and a handful of superhero blockbusters.
Specialty Releases
Fathom Events’ re-issue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring capitalized on the holiday, collecting $3.8 million on limited screens. The one-day engagement, bolstered by 4K remastering and fan events, out-grossed several wide releases and demonstrated catalog value during slow weekends.
Meanwhile, indie thriller The Housemaid has shown sturdy legs, dipping just 22% in its fifth weekend to $10.2 million, thanks to strong word-of-mouth among younger female demographics, according to News Of Los Angeles.
Up Next
Studios will look to the January 24 corridor when three new wide releases enter the market, including an R-rated comedy and an action title targeting Super Bowl counter-programming. Exhibition executives hope momentum carries into February, typically one of the quietest months on the calendar.
Key Takeaways
- Avatar: Fire and Ash remains box-office king, but its global total still trails the first two Avatar films.
- Holiday weekend turnout of $104.8 million puts 2025 box office receipts 18% ahead of last year.
- Deep-legged family films and re-issues are filling gaps between fresh tent-poles, keeping overall attendance healthy.
