James Cameron’s third Avatar film opens strong worldwide but falls short of its predecessor. Avatar: Fire and Ash earned $345 million globally in its opening weekend. That ranks as the second-best worldwide debut for a Hollywood release in 2025, behind Disney’s Thanksgiving hit Zootopia 2.
The film does not match the $441.6 million global launch of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water. The drop-off proves steeper than expected, especially in North America.
Domestic Opening Comes in Soft
In North America, Fire and Ash opens to $88 million. That total lands on the low end of industry expectations and signals softer momentum than the prior sequel.
Competition may be a factor. Two new releases draw attention from different audiences and chip away at the box office.
Faith-Based Hit Breaks Through
Angel Studios’ David debuts in second place with $22 million from 3,119 theaters. The film marks a company-best opening for Angel Studios and earns an A CinemaScore. Faith-based audiences show up in force, giving the release strong early momentum.
Thriller Finds an Audience
Lionsgate’s R-rated thriller The Housemaid opens in third place with $19 million. The film stars Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney and leans into a 1990s-style thriller tone.
The opening serves as an important test for Sweeney following the underperforming Oscar hopeful Christy. The solid debut suggests continued audience interest.
Family Fare Rounds Out the Top Five
Paramount’s The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants also opens nationwide over the Dec. 19–21 weekend. The family film lands in fourth place with $16 million from 3,557 theaters, adding steady holiday competition to an already crowded marketplace. Zootopia 2 rounded off the top five with $14.5 million.
The top 12 movies of the weekend, as of Sunday, December 21, are as follows:
| Title | Distributor Name | Weekend Total | # of Locs | Loc Avg | Cume Total | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | 20th Century Studios | $88,000,000 | 3,800 | $23,158 | $88,000,000 | |
| 2 | David | Angel Studios | $22,017,322 | 3,118 | $7,061 | $22,017,322 | |
| 3 | Housemaid, The | Lionsgate | $19,000,000 | 3,015 | $6,302 | $19,000,000 | |
| 4 | Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants, The | Paramount | $16,000,000 | 3,557 | $4,498 | $16,000,000 | |
| 5 | Zootopia 2 | Disney | $14,500,000 | 3,540 | $4,096 | $282,809,929 | -44% |
| 6 | Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 | Universal | $7,250,000 | 3,012 | $2,407 | $108,930,000 | -63% |
| 7 | Wicked: For Good | Universal | $4,300,000 | 2,913 | $1,476 | $320,507,000 | -50% |
| 8 | Dhurandhar | Moviegoers Entertainment Ltd | $2,473,690 | 400 | $6,184 | $12,620,690 | -30% |
| 9 | Marty Supreme | A24 | $875,000 | 6 | $145,833 | $875,000 | |
| 10 | Hamnet | Focus Features | $850,000 | 617 | $1,378 | $8,760,000 | -41% |
| 11 | Now You See Me: Now You Don’t | Lionsgate | $600,000 | 718 | $836 | $61,075,000 | -75% |
| 12 | Eternity | A24 | $581,553 | 514 | $1,131 | $14,808,254 | -67% |
