James Cameron’s latest sci-fi epic, Avatar: Fire and Ash, continued its strong theatrical run over the Christmas period, maintaining the top spot at the domestic box office and reinforcing its position as the season’s dominant draw.
While several new holiday releases arrived in cinemas, none were able to dislodge the Disney tentpole, as audiences once again turned out in large numbers for Pandora.
Over the traditional weekend, Avatar: The Way of Water, not Avatar: Fire and Ash, collected an estimated $64 million in North America, rising to $88 million when including grosses since Christmas Day. The film’s second-weekend decline stood at just 28%, a notably stronger hold than Avatar: The Way of Water, which dropped more than half of its opening-weekend earnings in 2022.
After two weekends, the third instalment has amassed $217.7 million domestically and approximately $760 million worldwide, putting it on a trajectory similar to its predecessors, both of which dominated theatres well into the new year.
Behind Avatar, Disney’s Zootopia 2 reclaimed second place in its fifth weekend of release. The animated sequel added $20 million over the weekend and more than $25 million since Christmas, bringing its domestic total to $320 million. Globally, the family-friendly hit has surged to $1.42 billion, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood release of the year so far.
Among new arrivals, A24’s sports drama Marty Supreme posted the strongest debut. The film earned $17.4 million across 2,600 theatres over the weekend and $27.1 million across the four-day holiday frame, lifting its total domestic gross to $28.3 million.
Directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet as a fictional table tennis champion, the film marked A24’s second-biggest opening to date. Positive reviews and strong audience reception, reflected in a “B+” CinemaScore, have positioned the film for sustained performance despite its sizable $70 million production budget.
Sony’s action-comedy reboot Anaconda opened in fifth place, earning $14.6 million over the weekend and $23.7 million since Christmas in North America. International markets added another $20 million, bringing the film’s global launch to $43.7 million. Starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, the $45 million production received mixed critical and audience responses, suggesting a more modest run ahead.
Further down the chart, Focus Features’ musical drama Song Sung Blue debuted in eighth place. The Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson-led film earned $7.6 million over the weekend and $12 million across the holiday period. Despite its smaller opening, the film scored an “A” CinemaScore and showed strong appeal among older audiences, a demographic known for steady word-of-mouth-driven turnout.
Holdovers also contributed significantly to holiday traffic. Lionsgate’s psychological thriller The Housemaid placed fourth, adding $15.4 million over the weekend and pushing its domestic total to $46.6 million. The film has now crossed $64.9 million worldwide.
As the year draws to a close, the U.S. box office stands at approximately $8.76 billion, narrowly ahead of last year’s pace but still well below pre-pandemic highs. With only days remaining in 2025, projections indicate the total will fall short of the $9 billion mark once again.
Still, strong performances from Avatar: Fire and Ash, Zootopia 2, and the breakout success of Marty Supreme provided a late surge that helped stabilize the market heading into the new year.
