106
More on this
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is dominating teh domestic box office as the new year begins.
James Cameron’s latest installment in the Na’vi saga earned $40 million from 3,825 North American theaters during its third weekend,a 35% decline from the busy post-Christmas frame. This brings the film’s domestic total to $306 million and its global earnings to a staggering $1.08 billion after just 18 days in release. “Fire and Ash” crossed the billion-dollar mark slower than 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” (14 days) and the original “Avatar” (17 days). The question now is whether this third film can maintain momentum and potentially surpass the $2 billion earned by its predecessors.
A Quiet Start to the new Year at the Box Office
Hollywood studios typically hold back major releases in January, leaving room for leftovers from the holiday season.
- “Avatar: Fire and Ash” continues to lead the box office with $40 million in its third weekend.
- “Zootopia 2” is performing exceptionally well, becoming Disney Animation’s highest-grossing film ever.
- “The Housemaid” and “Marty Supreme” are holding strong, demonstrating continued audience interest.
- Overall box office revenue for 2026 is currently 26.5% ahead of 2025.
With major studios largely absent, a handful of films carried over from Thanksgiving and Christmas filled out the top spots. “Zootopia 2,” “The Housemaid,” and “Marty Supreme” trailed behind “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on North American charts.
“Zootopia 2” Makes History
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” remained a strong contender at No. 2, bringing in $19 million from 3,285 venues-a minimal 4% drop from the previous weekend. After six weekends, the animated sequel has amassed $363 million domestically and $1.588 billion globally. “Zootopia 2” recently surpassed “Frozen 2” ($1.45 billion) to become Walt disney Animation’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Looking ahead, analysts are optimistic about the year ahead.With tentpoles like “Doomsday,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” on the horizon, analysts are optimistic about reaching pre-pandemic levels.
“With a killer slate on the docket, there’s confidence that 2026 will be the biggest year for theaters since 2020,” predicts paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.
Now, Hollywood is waiting to see if audiences will continue to fill multiplexes.
