The newest chapter of James Cameron’s Pandora saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash, hit theaters with a worldwide haul of $345 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The figure ranks the film as the second-best opening of 2025, trailing only Zootopia 2‘s $497.2 million debut. The box-office performance gives Cameron a potential path to new blockbuster records.
Opening Weekend Performance
*Avatar: Fire and Ash earned $88 million in the United States and Canada while pulling in $257 million from overseas markets. The domestic total marked a 35 % decline from the $134 million North American take of Avatar: The Way of Water*, which opened in 2022 with $435 million worldwide. The film’s opening was boosted by premium-format showings, which accounted for 66 % of the weekend’s revenue, and by a 56 % 3D audience share.
Comparison to Previous Installments
The franchise’s first two entries remain the third- and fourth-largest earners in cinematic history. Avatar (2009) opened with $77 million domestically and eventually grossed $2.92 billion worldwide. The Way of Water held the top spot for several weeks and finished with $2.3 billion globally. While Fire and Ash opened lower, its domestic “A” CinemaScore suggests strong word-of-mouth momentum.
Critical Reception
Reviews for Fire and Ash are more mixed than those for its predecessor, landing a 68 % “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes – a series-low for the franchise. The film’s reception contrasts with the 95 % approval of The Way of Water.
Box-Office Strategy
David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a box-office newsletter, notes, “The openings are not what the ‘Avatar’ movies are about. It’s what they do after they open that made them the no. 2 and no. 3 biggest films of all time.”
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, adds, “James Cameron is not known for his low budget movies. You can’t exactly create the world of Pandora on the cheap. If you’re going to have a 3D movie, an epic film that’s three hours and 17 minutes, it’s a huge buy-in of money, time, resources, and then you have to hope the audience wants to once again go along on that ride.”
The production budget for Fire and Ash sits at a minimum of $400 million, placing it among the most expensive films ever made.
International Highlights
Pandora’s appeal is strongest overseas. In China, the film opened with $57.6 million, surpassing the opening weekends of both Avatar and The Way of Water in that market. The strong international showing positions the movie to continue generating revenue well into the holiday season.
Competition and Upcoming Releases
*Fire and Ash opened alongside three other wide releases: Lionsgate’s The Housemaid, Angel Studios’ David, and Paramount’s The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. In the race for second place, David collected $22 million from 3,118 theaters, marking the best opening weekend for Angel Studios. The Housemaid earned $19 million across 3,015 theaters, while The SpongeBob Movie* pulled in $16 million from 3,557 theaters.
The holiday break will bring additional titles. Starting December 25, audiences will face A24’s Marty Supreme (with Timothée Chalamet), Focus Features’ Song Sung Blue (with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson), and Sony’s Anaconda (with Jack Black and Paul Rudd). Marty Supreme opened in six theaters over the weekend, grossing $875,000 – the best per-theater average of the year and the best since 2016.
Domestic Top 10
According to Comscore’s estimated figures for Friday through Sunday, the domestic top ten looks like this:
- Avatar: Fire and Ash – $88 million
- David – $22 million
- The Housemaid – $19 million
- The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants – $16 million
- Zootopia 2 – $14.5 million
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 – $7.3 million
- Wicked: For Good – $4.3 million
- Dhurandhar – $2.5 million
- Marty Supreme – $875,000
- Hamnet – $850,000
## Key Takeaways
- Avatar: Fire and Ash launched with $345 million worldwide, the second-best opening of 2025.
- The film’s domestic earnings dropped 35 % from The Way of Water but still achieved an “A” CinemaScore.
- Premium-format and 3D showings made up 66 % of the opening weekend, with 56 % of audiences choosing 3D.
The film’s performance sets the stage for future Avatar installments. Cameron has repeatedly stated that Fire and Ash must perform well to justify the development of films four and five, which are already written but not greenlit. With a production cost of at least $400 million, the franchise’s financial success remains critical.
Closing
*Avatar: Fire and Ash* has proven that while a strong opening is valuable, sustained momentum and international appeal are the true drivers of a franchise’s longevity. As the holiday season approaches, the film’s ability to maintain ticket sales will determine whether James Cameron’s Pandora saga continues to dominate the global box office.
Side Note
Zoe Saldaña discussed being randomly called to shoot scenes for Avatar 3 and her role in her husband Marco Perego’s film The Absence of Eden during a recent interview.
