Pandora's Latest Adventure: A Look at Avatar: Fire and Ash and Other Box Office Newcomers

Box Office Performance

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" kicked off with an impressive $88 million in the U.S. over its opening weekend. While this is a solid start, it's a drop from the $134 million debut of "Avatar: The Way of Water" in 2022. The big question now is how well this latest trip to Pandora will perform during the holiday season.

Long-Lasting Box Office Power

The "Avatar" films are known for their long-lasting box office power, not just their opening weekends. The first "Avatar" movie in 2009 started with $77 million domestically and stayed at the top for seven weekends, eventually making $760 million in North America and $2.92 billion worldwide. The sequel also held the top spot for seven weekends and earned $688 million domestically and $2.3 billion globally.

International Success

Internationally, "Avatar: Fire and Ash" brought in $257 million, making its global total $345 million. This is one of the biggest worldwide debuts of the year, but it's still behind the second film's $435 million global opening.

Budget and Justification

The movie's success is crucial because "Avatar" films have huge budgets, costing at least $350 million to make and even more to market. James Cameron once said that "The Way of Water" needed to be one of the highest-grossing films ever to break even, which it did. The newest "Avatar" doesn't need to hit $2 billion to be successful, but it needs to make a lot to justify its cost.

Audience Demographics

Premium screens like IMAX and 3D made up 66% of ticket sales, and 38% of the opening weekend crowd was 25 or younger. This shows the franchise appeals to both adults and younger audiences. The film also got an "A" grade on CinemaScore exit polls, which is a good sign for repeat viewings during the Christmas season.

Long Runtime

However, the movie's long runtime of three hours and 17 minutes limits the number of showtimes per day. Unlike the long wait between the first and second "Avatar" films, this third installment came just three years after its predecessor.

Other Notable Releases

"David" Surprises with Strong Debut

While "Avatar: Fire and Ash" dominated the box office, it wasn't the only new release. Angel Studios' animated biblical musical "David" surprised everyone by coming in second with $22 million. This is the best three-day debut for Angel Studios, beating "Sound of Freedom," which made $19.6 million and became a sleeper hit.

"David" follows the story of David and Goliath and is a follow-up to the TV mini-series "Young David." It got an "A" grade on CinemaScore and a 70% average on Rotten Tomatoes, showing that audiences loved it more than critics did.

"The Housemaid" Opens Strong

Lionsgate's psychological thriller "The Housemaid" opened in third place with $19 million. The film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, got a "B" grade on CinemaScore, which is common for movies that leave audiences feeling unsettled.

"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants"

"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" came in fourth with $16 million. This is the lowest opening for a "SpongeBob" movie, but it got an "A-" grade on CinemaScore, the highest of the series.

"Zootopia 2" Continues to Shine

Disney's "Zootopia 2" rounded out the top five with $14.5 million in its fourth weekend. The animated sequel has made $282 million domestically and $1.27 billion globally, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood release of the year.

"Ella McCay" Fails to Impress

Meanwhile, Disney's political dramedy "Ella McCay" had a disastrous second weekend, making only $480,000. This is a 75% drop from its $2 million opening, which was already one of the worst for Disney.

"Marty Supreme" Shines in Limited Release

In limited release, A24's ping-pong dramedy "Marty Supreme" made $875,000 from just six screens. This is the best per-theater average of the year, thanks in part to star Timothee Chalamet's press tour.

Looking Ahead

As we head into the busiest stretch of the year for movie theaters, Hollywood is hoping these new releases can help push 2025's total ticket sales past the projected $9 billion mark.