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Pandora Still Packs a Punch: “Avatar: Fire and Ash” Ignites Box Office, Despite Softer Opening
Hollywood, USA – James Cameron’s epic “Avatar” saga continues to prove its box-office might, with the third installment, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” raking in an impressive $88 million domestically and a colossal $257 million internationally in its opening weekend. While these numbers solidify Pandora’s reign, the film’s debut wasn’t quite as explosive as its predecessor, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which launched with $134 million in North America in 2022.
“Fire and Ash” saw a 35% dip in domestic opening figures compared to “The Way of Water,” and critical reception was somewhat mixed, earning a 68% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes – a series low. However, these “quibbles,” as industry analysts suggest, are largely a product of the incredibly high bar set by the franchise. The first two “Avatar” films remain two of the top three highest-grossing movies of all time, largely due to their remarkable staying power at the box office rather than just massive opening weekends.
The original “Avatar” (2009) opened with $77 million domestically but dominated the top spot for seven weeks, ultimately grossing a staggering $2.92 billion worldwide. “The Way of Water” followed suit, eventually tallying $2.3 billion globally. For “Fire and Ash” to mirror this success, it will need sustained ticket sales throughout the lucrative holiday moviegoing corridor, a prospect bolstered by strong audience word-of-mouth, reflected in its “A” CinemaScore.
Director James Cameron has made it clear that “Fire and Ash” must perform exceptionally well to secure the green light for future “Avatar” films (parts four and five are already written). These cinematic spectacles come with a hefty price tag; with a production budget of at least $400 million, “Fire and Ash” stands as one of the most expensive movies ever made.
“James Cameron is not known for his low budget movies,” noted 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.”
Premium format showings significantly boosted “Fire and Ash”‘s opening, accounting for 66% of its weekend gross, with 56% of moviegoers opting for the 3D experience. The film also demonstrated immense popularity overseas, particularly in China, where its $57.6 million opening surpassed the previous two “Avatar” films.
Beyond Pandora: “David” Overperforms, “Marty Supreme” Sets Indie Record
While “Avatar” dominated, other new releases carved out their own niches. Angel Studios’ animated film “David” surprisingly claimed second place, earning $22 million from 3,118 theaters. This marks the best opening weekend for the Christian-oriented studio, known for its 2023 hit “Sound of Freedom.”
Lionsgate’s psychological thriller “The Housemaid,” starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, opened with $19 million from 3,015 theaters. Based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, the R-rated film is positioned to be a strong contender during the holiday season.
Trailing the new releases was “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” which brought in $16 million from 3,557 theaters, marking the first “SpongeBob” theatrical release since 2015.
Looking ahead, the upcoming Christmas break will see a fresh wave of competition, including A24’s “Marty Supreme” with Timothée Chalamet, Focus Features’ “Song Sung Blue” starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, and Sony’s “Anaconda” with Jack Black and Paul Rudd.
“Marty Supreme” already made headlines with its limited opening in six theaters, grossing an impressive $875,000, or $145,000 per theater. This is not only the best per-theater average of the year but also the best since 2016 and a new high for A24. The film, directed by Josh Safdie and featuring Chalamet as a 1950s New York table tennis hopeful, is the most expensive production in A24’s history.
Top 10 Domestic Box Office (Estimated)
- “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $88 million
- “David,” $22 million
- “The Housemaid,” $19 million
- “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” $16 million
- “Zootopia 2,” $14.5 million
- “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” $7.3 million
- “Wicked: For Good,” $4.3 million
- “Dhurandhar,” $2.5 million
- “Marty Supreme,” $875,000
- “Hamnet,” $850,000