The holiday box office battle has delivered a surprise upset. The highly anticipated third instalment in James Cameron's sci-fi saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash, has opened to a somewhat disappointing domestic haul, while a family-friendly biblical animation has smashed studio records.
A Slower Start for Pandora's Return
Avatar: Fire and Ash launched with an $88 million debut in North American cinemas over the weekend of Sunday 21 December 2025. While this figure was enough to top the weekend charts, it fell notably short of its projected $100 million mark and paled in comparison to the $134 million opening secured by its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water, in 2022.
Industry analysts, however, are hesitant to write off Cameron's latest epic. The franchise is renowned for its exceptional staying power rather than explosive openings. The original 2009 Avatar film debuted with $77 million domestically but then held the number one spot for seven consecutive weekends, eventually soaring to become the highest-grossing film of all time with $2.92 billion globally.
The sequel followed a similar pattern, leading the box office for seven weeks and amassing $2.3 billion worldwide. Avatar: Fire and Ash has already secured a massive $345 million globally in its first three days, suggesting it may well be on track to replicate the franchise's famous 'slow burn' success.
David Topples Goliath-Sized Records
The weekend's true headline-maker was Angel Studios' animated musical David. The film, which retells the classic Biblical story of David and Goliath, captured second place with an impressive $22 million debut from 3,119 theatres.
This performance marks a new high for the faith-based studio, surpassing its previous record set by Sound of Freedom ($19.7 million in 2023). More significantly, David has now claimed the record for the biggest opening weekend in history for a faith-based animated movie.
It overtook the studio's own The King of Kings ($19.4 million earlier in 2025) and ended the 27-year reign of DreamWorks' beloved The Prince of Egypt as the category's debut champion.
The Rest of the Holiday Pack
The battle for third place was closely fought. The thriller The Housemaid, an adaptation starring Sydney Sweeney, secured a $19 million domestic opening. Close behind, Paramount's The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants launched its cinematic run with a solid $16 million.
While Avatar: Fire and Ash currently leads the global charge, its domestic opening has raised questions. The coming weeks will prove decisive, indicating whether Cameron's latest visual spectacle can leverage the holiday season and build momentum, or if the audience's journey to Pandora is finally beginning to cool.
