Never bet against James Cameron. That’s the biggest takeaway from the holiday box office run for Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Despite a notably slow start, Cameron’s threequel has now cleared $300 million domestically and is on track for a $36 million weekend—slightly below our earlier predictions, but still an extremely strong showing.
Will it wind up beating the $688 million domestic total earned by Avatar: The Way of Water? Probably not a prayer. Still, Fire and Ash should easily finish its run in the $450 million range, possibly higher. While that would represent a step down from the last film, it’s more than enough for it to become the highest-grossing movie of the year, with the film also expected to cross $1 billion worldwide by tomorrow night.
The takeaway is simple: there’s still a massive global appetite for Avatar, and this performance should comfortably allow Cameron to make at least one more sequel.
Zootopia 2 Remains a Family Juggernaut
Zootopia 2 continues to defy expectations. Now more than a month into its run, the film is still holding second place at the box office, boosted by strong family attendance.
It’s eyeing an $18 million weekend and has officially become Disney’s highest-grossing animated movie of all time worldwide—a remarkable achievement and proof of the franchise’s staying power.
The Housemaid Delivers a Needed Hit for Sydney Sweeney
The Housemaid, led by Sydney Sweeney, has proven to be the hit she badly needed. In its third weekend, the film is expected to slip only 10%, pulling in $13.8 million.
Its domestic total now sits at $74.6 million, with a clear path toward $100 million, making it one of the more impressive mid-budget success stories of the year.
Marty Supreme Outpacing Uncut Gems
Marty Supreme is also holding extremely well. It’s projected to earn $11.75 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $55.1 million.
That figure already surpasses the entire domestic run of Uncut Gems, which finished at $50 million—an impressive milestone for a similarly positioned release.
Anaconda Falls Short of Blockbuster Expectations
Not everything is roaring at the box office. Sony’s Anaconda appears to be underperforming relative to expectations, with a projected $9 million-plus weekend and a modest $45 million domestic total.
That’s not disastrous, and it will likely finish as the highest-grossing comedy of the year, but it’s well below the blockbuster numbers Sony was likely hoping for.
We’ll be back tomorrow with a full box office rundown.
