411 Box Office Report: Avatar: Fire & Ash Holds at #1, Tops $760 Million Worldwide

The holiday weekend saw Avatar: Fire & Ash do what the franchise does, holding on well for a second week at #1. James Cameron’s blockbuster threequel took the top spot with $64 million for the three-day frame. That number is down just 28% from last weekend’s $89.2 million opening.

Fire & Ash’s hold is a vast improvement over Avatar: The Way Of Water’s second weekend drop of 53%. It must be said, however, that Way of Water’s second frame came before the holiday weekend. That’s a big factor, as the period between Christmas and New Years is always box office gold. In addition, Way Of Water had further to fall with a $134.1 million opening.

Either way, this is exactly what 20th Century Studios planned for. As I said last week, Avatar has always been about two things: the long game and the overseas numbers. Both are panning out right now, as Fire & Ash has $217.7 million domestically and $760.4 million worldwide. That puts it in good position to be another hit even against its $400 million budget. The film should still be able to close around $350 million or more, a major step down from the last two films but still quite successful.

Zootopia 2 soared its way back up to #2 as it jumped 35% in its fourth weekend to $20 million. The Disney Animation film continues to be a massive success for the studio as it now stands at $321.4 million stateside and $1.421 billion worldwide. Keep in mind, the budget here was “only” $150 million. The sequel is now aiming at as high as $370 million and will be a shining jewel in the studios’ 2025 ledger.

Marty Supreme followed up its strong limited start with a hefty wide release take. The Josh Safide-directed sports drama powered up to a $17.5 million start, well above the low teen numbers it was expected to do. It’s four-day run including Christmas Day was $27.1 million.

As noted last week, the Timothee Chalamet-starring film has been a hit with critics and fans, with A24 seeking an Oscar-style run. It looks likely to achieve that with ease. The film cost $65 million so it has a ways to go before it makes profit but with $28.3 million in the US and its international rollout planned for the start of 2026, it should be in fine shape. Its domestic total could reach as high as $85 million if it continues to play well.

The Housemaid had a solid hold for the holiday weekend as it was down just 19% in the three-day numbers with $15.4 million. Paul Feig’s domestic thriller is looking shiny at $46.5 million domestically and $46.6 million worldwide. The film cost $35 million and should easily be profitable, with a domestic total likely around $65 million or so.

The weekend’s first true new release came with Anaconda, which was in fine shape with a $14.6 million three-day opening. That’s right about where the meta sequel was expected to land. The ensemble comedy, led by Paul Rudd and Jack Black, was slightly below the $16.6 million launch of the 1997 original. A big caveat on that, though: add in Christmas Day and the film has $23.7 million.

This film was always a bit risky despite its star power. The first film was a big budget B-horror movie that managed to become a cultural touchstone. Switching to comedy with a touch of horror always had the chance of turning off the original’s fans. And comedy, as we know, doesn’t always shine at the box office these days. But while critics were “meh” on it with a 50% Rotten Tomatoes aggregated average, audiences think it’s okay. The B CinemaScore and 77% RT audience ratings don’t scream “smash hit,” but that’s more or less where Naked Gun landed and it did well.

Anaconda is going to be in fine shape due to the holiday season and a fairly modest budget at $45 million. Right now, it’s added $20 million overseas for a $43.7 million worldwide gross. Domestically it should finish out at around $50 million or perhaps more and will be profitable against its $45 million budget.

David saw a 42% drop in its second weekend. Angel Studios’ animated Biblical family film took in $12.7 million. That’s the second biggest drop in the top 10, but that’s also par for the course for films with very targeted demos like the faith-based genre. David is doing just fine in the grand scheme of things with $49.8 million domestically and $49.9 million worldwide. No word on its budget, but the studio is still very happy here. The final domestic gross is still looking at around $75 million.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants was down 28% in its second weekend for an $11.2 million take. Paramount’s latest film featuring the animated favorite has now tallied up $38.2 million in the US and $60.3 million worldwide, doing okay-ish against its $64 million budget. That fall suggests that the film might be struggling a bit against the rest of the family fare, but it should still be able to hit around $60 million if it doesn’t crater and the overseas money will bring it to profit.

Coming in at #8 was Song Sung Blue. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson’s drama, based on the real story of Neil Diamond tribute band Lighting and Thunder, had a bit of a tough time breaking through the noise but still managed $7.6 million over three days and $12 million over four.

Song Sung Blue was always going to need the holiday holds to find its profit. The film, a Focus Features release, has solid reviews at a 75% RT aggregated score and is a hit with fans at an A CinemaScore and 98% RT audience rating. But it’s also a somewhat niche topic. The movie has $12.5 million worldwide and has plenty more international openings to come. The budget was $30 million and if the foreign numbers do well, it should hit profit. Domestically, it is aiming at around $26 million.

Wicked: For Good brought in $5.3 million in its sixth weekend, up 8% from last weekend. The sequel now has $331.6 million stateside and $503.9 million worldwide. It’s a hit and still aiming at around $350 million, perhaps a bit more.

Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 was down 43% in its fourth weekend to $4.4 million. The PG-13 horror film has $119 million in the US and $220.6 million worldwide against a $51 million budget, a major profit. It is still looking at around $130 million domestically.

The box office will be all holdovers next weekend with no new films until January 9th. Avatar will continue its reign for a third frame.

Box Office Top Ten (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)

1. Avatar: Fire & Ash – $64 million ($217.7 million total, $760.4 million WW)
2. Zootopia 2 – $20 million ($321.4 million total, $1.421 billion WW)
3. Marty Supreme – $17.5 million ($28.3 million total, $28.3 million WW)
3. The Housemaid – $15.4 million ($46.5 million total, $46.6 million WW)
5. Anaconda – $14.6 million ($38.2 million total, $60.3 million WW)
6. David – $12.7 million ($49.8 million total, $49.9 million WW)
7. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants – $11.2 million ($33.2 million total, $55.3 million WW)
8. Song Sung Blue – $7.6 million ($12 million total, $12.5 million WW)
9. Wicked: For Good – $5.3 million ($331.6 million total, $503.9 million WW)
6. Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 – $4.4 million ($119 million total, $220.6 million WW)