Avatar: Fire and Ash Tops UK Box Office for Fourth Week as Primate Debuts

Avatar 4th Week at #1, Primate Debuts 2nd

James Cameron's cinematic juggernaut shows no signs of cooling off, as 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' secured the number one spot at the UK and North American box office for a fourth straight weekend. The news comes on a relatively quiet Sunday for the industry, the 11th of January 2026, as the traditional post-holiday lull begins.

Pandora's Persistent Power and a Primate Debut

The third chapter in the Pandora saga earned an estimated $21.3 million from cinemas across the UK and North America over the weekend, according to studio figures released by Disney. Its remarkable run has now seen it amass a colossal $342.6 million domestically and $888 million internationally. Last week, it officially crossed the billion-dollar threshold, joining its two legendary predecessors in that elite club.

The main challenger this weekend was a newcomer from Paramount Pictures. The rampaging-chimp horror film 'Primate' debuted in second place, scaring up a solid $11.3 million in its first weekend of release.

Strong Holdovers and Awards Season Contenders

Other established films continued to perform strongly. Disney's 'Zootopia 2', released back in November, demonstrated incredible staying power. It placed fourth domestically with $10.1 million, bringing its North American total to $378.8 million. Globally, the animated sequel is a sensation, particularly in China, and has piled up $1.65 billion. It is now tantalisingly close to surpassing the 2019 'Lion King' remake to become Disney's highest-grossing animated film ever.

Meanwhile, the Sydney Sweeney-led thriller 'The Housemaid' proved to be a hugely profitable venture for Lionsgate. In its fourth weekend, it earned $11.2 million, placing third, for a domestic total of $94.15 million. Given its modest production budget of just $35 million, its success has already prompted the studio to greenlight a sequel.

The weekend's figures arrived as much of Hollywood's focus shifted to the Golden Globe Awards. Both 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' and 'Zootopia 2' are nominated for two awards each. Among the major contenders at the Globes, only A24's 'Marty Supreme' featured in the weekend's top ten, finishing sixth with $7.6 million. The film, nominated for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), has earned $70.1 million over four weeks.

A Brighter Outlook for Cinema in 2026?

There are positive signs for the industry as a whole. Data from Comscore indicates that weekend revenues were up 23% compared to the same weekend in 2025. The total for 2026 so far is also tracking 23% ahead of last year's pace.

This offers a glimmer of hope after a disappointing 2025, which saw a continued slide in cinema attendance. Studios are now optimistic that 2026 could become the best box-office year of the decade, with major franchises like Avengers, Spider-Man, Toy Story, Super Mario Bros, and Dune all slated for new releases.

Here is the estimated top 10 for the weekend of 9th-11th January 2026 in UK and North American cinemas: