James Cameron's return to Pandora has proven the alien world remains a cinematic goldmine, as Avatar: Fire and Ash launched with a colossal $345 million in global ticket sales, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
A Stellar, Yet Slightly Dimmer, Pandoran Sunrise
The third chapter in the epic science-fiction saga secured the second-best global debut of 2025, trailing only the mammoth opening of Zootopia 2 ($497.2 million). The film's performance sets Cameron on a potential course to challenge more blockbuster records, though the launch showed some signs of franchise fatigue when compared to its immediate predecessor.
Fire and Ash generated $88 million from domestic (US and Canadian) theatres and a further $257 million from international markets. This domestic figure represents a 35% drop from the $134 million North American opening of Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022, which launched to a global total of $435 million. Critical reception was also more divided, with the film achieving a series-low 68% 'fresh' rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
"The openings are not what the 'Avatar' movies are about," noted film consultant David A. Gross. "It's what they do after they open that made them the no. 2 and no. 3 biggest films of all time." This historical pattern of remarkable staying power is what the new instalment will need to emulate.
Premium Formats and International Might Fuel the Fire
The film's financial fire was significantly stoked by premium viewing experiences. A substantial 66% of its opening weekend revenue came from premium format screenings, with 56% of audiences opting for 3D presentations. As with previous entries, international appeal was paramount. The film scored its strongest opening in China with $57.6 million, surpassing the debut of the two earlier movies in the market.
The path ahead for Fire and Ash is bolstered by strong audience word-of-mouth, evidenced by its 'A' grade on CinemaScore, and the upcoming lucrative holiday moviegoing period. However, the stakes are astronomically high. Cameron has stated the future of the planned fourth and fifth films hinges on this chapter's success. With a production budget of at least $400 million, it ranks among the most expensive movies ever made.
"James Cameron is not known for his low budget movies," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. "You can't exactly create the world of Pandora on the cheap. If you're going to have a 3D movie, an epic film that's three hours and 17 minutes, it's a huge buy-in of money, time, resources, and then you have to hope the audience wants to once again go along on that ride."
Box Office Competition and Holiday Hopes
The weekend was not solely dominated by the Na'vi. A trio of new releases provided counterprogramming. Leading the chase for second place was Angel Studios' animated biblical tale David, which earned $22 million—a record opening for the studio. Lionsgate's psychological thriller The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney, opened with $19 million, while Paramount's The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants fetched $16 million.
All films now look to the Christmas break for sustained sales. From 25 December, they will face fresh competition from wide releases including A24's Marty Supreme, which previewed in six theatres this weekend to an impressive $875,000 total, or $145,000 per theatre—a record per-theatre average for distributor A24.
Sixteen years after the first film, the box-office ecosystem of Pandora remains vibrant. The ultimate fate of Fire and Ash—and the future of the franchise—will be determined not by its explosive opening, but by its ability to hold audiences captive in the weeks to come.
