“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is set to close out 2025 on top of the North American box office again, riding a holiday surge that has pushed the film past $153 million domestically through Christmas Day and above $544 million worldwide to date, according to Box Office Mojo.
The question now is less about the No. 1 slot and more about staying power. The film opened to $88 million in North America and $345 million worldwide, a softer domestic start than the last installment but still a major draw for premium screens. Comscore said large formats made up 66% of the opening weekend, with 56% of ticket buyers choosing 3D. “The openings are not what the ‘Avatar’ movies are about,” box-office analyst David A. Gross said, pointing to the franchise’s long runs in theaters.
Holiday newcomers are trying to claim the rest of the frame. A24’s “Marty Supreme” has built momentum from its platform start, and Box Office Mojo lists its domestic gross at about $12.7 million so far. Sony’s “Anaconda” sits at roughly $9.1 million domestic to date on the tracker, while Focus Features’ “Song Sung Blue” has reached about $4.4 million domestic.
Execs and analysts also see the weekend as a stress test for theatrical breadth. The Numbers’ forecasting models have “Fire and Ash” adding roughly $60 million more over the weekend, with a tight contest behind it among “Marty Supreme,” “Anaconda,” and holdovers. Paul Dergarabedian, a Comscore analyst, framed the bet in blunt terms: “You can’t exactly create the world of Pandora on the cheap.”
Away from the charts, “Anaconda” has leaned into nostalgia, including a last-minute Jennifer Lopez cameo filmed weeks before release, director Tom Gormican said. For “Avatar,” James Cameron has also tied the franchise’s future to turnout, saying he still needs to “prove that business case” even with future dates already penciled in.
