‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Dominates Christmas Weekend Box Office, Surges to $760 Million Worldwide

James Cameron has once again proven unbeatable at the global box office. Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third chapter in his sci-fi epic, ignited the holiday movie season by soaring to $760 million worldwide — securing the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive weekend and outpacing every new release in its path.

A Stronger Second Weekend Than Way of Water

The film added $64 million domestically, bringing its North American total to $217 million. That marks just a 28% drop from opening weekend — a significantly stronger hold than Avatar: The Way of Water, which fell 52% in its second frame back in 2022.

International markets continue to be the franchise’s powerhouse, delivering an additional $181 million, pushing the global tally to $760 million after just over a week in theaters. If the threequel follows the pattern of the previous films, it will need to maintain momentum into January — the first two entries held onto the top spot for seven straight weekends and ultimately crossed $2 billion each.

Fire and Ash picks up after the emotional fallout of Way of Water, following the Sully family as they navigate an escalating conflict on Pandora and confront a newly introduced fire-worshipping Na’vi tribe.

Other Holiday Box Office Standouts

While Cameron’s blockbuster continues to dominate, several major releases enjoyed strong holiday turnout:

Zootopia 2 (Disney)
The animated juggernaut added $20 million domestically, reaching $321 million in North America and a staggering $1.4 billion worldwide. It remains the highest-grossing Hollywood release of 2025.

Marty Supreme (A24)
Timothée Chalamet’s ping-pong drama debuted impressively with $27 million over the Christmas frame, plus strong early previews, bringing its global total to $30 million. It now ranks as A24’s second-biggest opening ever.

The Housemaid (Lionsgate)
Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried’s psychological thriller earned $15.4 million this weekend and now sits at $64.9 million worldwide.

Anaconda (Sony)
The Paul Rudd–Jack Black meta-comedy opened to $23.6 million domestically, reaching $43.6 million globally.

Song Sung Blue (Focus Features)
The Hugh Jackman–Kate Hudson musical drama struggled with just $7.6 million domestically and a little over $12 million worldwide.

A Holiday Boost for the Industry

With the final weekend of 2025 nearly wrapped, the domestic box office sits at $8.76 billion, slightly ahead of last year but still trailing far behind pre-pandemic benchmarks. Revenues are projected to close out the year at $8.87 billion.

For now, Avatar: Fire and Ash shows no signs of slowing down — and the new year will determine whether Cameron’s latest epic can once again climb into the $2 billion club. Stay tuned to InvestRecords.com for more entertainment industry updates and box office coverage.