The Avatar: Fire and Ash box office debut delivered $345 million in worldwide ticket sales, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The third film in James Cameron’s science-fiction franchise opened with $88 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters and $257 million internationally.
The result notched the second-best worldwide opening of 2025. The only bigger global debut this year was “Zootopia 2,” which launched with $497.2 million over three days.
How it compares to “The Way of Water.”
“Fire and Ash” arrived three years after “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which debuted in 2022 with $435 million worldwide and $134 million in North America. Domestically, the new installment’s $88 million opening represents a 35% drop from the previous film’s North American start.
The new release also faced a slightly softer critical reception than the earlier “Avatar” films. Reviews were more mixed, and the film posted a 68% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes, the franchise’s lowest, according to the reporting.
Even so, the “Avatar” series has never relied solely on huge openings to reach historic totals. Cameron’s earlier installments built their box-office records through weeks of strong turnout after the debut weekend.
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Box-office analyst David A. Gross said the franchise’s signature has been its staying power rather than its initial surge. The first “Avatar” (2009) opened with $77 million domestically, held the top spot for seven weeks, and ultimately grossed $2.92 billion worldwide.
“The Way of Water” followed a similar path, holding strong through its run to reach $2.3 billion globally. For “Fire and Ash” to join those heights, it will need steady ticket sales over multiple weekends — a challenge that now shifts into the lucrative holiday moviegoing stretch.
So far, one encouraging signal is audience feedback. Moviegoers gave the film an “A” CinemaScore, suggesting strong word-of-mouth as it moves into Christmas week.
A high-cost bet with major financial stakes
Cameron has said in interviews that “Fire and Ash” needs to perform well for the franchise to continue with additional sequels. While “Avatar” films four and five have been written, they have not been greenlit, according to the reporting.
The financial stakes are unusually high because of the scale of production. With a reported production budget of at least $400 million, “Fire and Ash” ranks among the most expensive movies ever made.
Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian noted the practical reality behind that price tag: producing a three-dimensional, effects-heavy epic running three hours and 17 minutes requires significant investment in time, money, and resources, with the audience ultimately deciding whether the ride is worth it.
Premium formats drive early sales
Premium formats played an outsized role in the opening weekend. They accounted for 66% of ticket sales, and 56% of moviegoers watched the film in 3D, according to the estimates in the report.
That premium mix has long been central to the “Avatar” playbook, especially in markets and theaters where large-format screens and high-end sound systems amplify the movie’s visual design. If that pattern holds through the holidays, it can help boost grosses even if total attendance fluctuates.
Overseas strength led by China
Internationally, the film performed especially well in China. Its $57.6 million opening weekend there surpassed the two previous “Avatar” movies, according to the report.
The franchise has historically skewed strong overseas, and the early international number — $257 million — again underscores that global appeal. Whether the film can maintain momentum across multiple regions is likely to determine how close it gets to the prior installments’ totals.
Other wide releases fight for holiday space
“Fire and Ash” did not have the weekend entirely to itself. Three other new wide releases opened in theaters as counterprogramming.
In the race for second place, Angel Studios’ “David” led the pack with $22 million from 3,118 theaters. The animated David-and-Goliath story marked the best opening weekend for Angel Studios, the faith-oriented distributor that broke out in 2023 with “Sound of Freedom.”
Lionsgate’s “The Housemaid,” a psychological thriller directed by Paul Feig and starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, opened with $19 million from 3,015 theaters. The film cost about $35 million to make, and the report described it as well-positioned to be one of the top R-rated options over the holidays.
Paramount’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” opened to $16 million from 3,557 theaters. The G-rated release is the first “SpongeBob” theatrical movie since 2015’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.”
Weekend box office list
Final domestic figures were set to be released on Monday. These estimates reflect ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
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| Rank | Film | Weekend gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Avatar: Fire and Ash” | $88 million |
| 2 | “David” | $22 million |
| 3 | “The Housemaid” | $19 million |
| 4 | “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” | $16 million |
| 5 | “Zootopia 2” | $14.5 million |
| 6 | “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” | $7.3 million |
| 7 | “Wicked: For Good” | $4.3 million |
| 8 | “Dhurandhar” | $2.5 million |
| 9 | “Marty Supreme” | $875,000 |
| 10 | “Hamnet” | $850,000 |
What’s coming next in theaters
Over the coming Christmas corridor, the current slate will be aiming to add weeks of strong business rather than relying on one headline weekend. Starting Dec. 25, the marketplace will face new wide releases including A24’s “Marty Supreme,” Focus Features’ “Song Sung Blue,” and Sony’s “Anaconda.”
Before its Christmas expansion, “Marty Supreme” opened in six theaters this weekend and grossed $875,000, or $145,000 per theater. The film, directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet as an aspiring table tennis player in 1950s New York, was described as A24’s most expensive movie ever and delivered the year’s best per-theater average.
Sources:
Associated Press – “‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ launches with $88M domestically, $345M worldwide.”
Reuters – “Third ‘Avatar’ film lights up box offices with $345 million opening.”
