Walt Disney’s return to the world of Pandora has generated substantial opening weekend revenue, with “Avatar: Fire and Ash” collecting approximately $345 million in worldwide ticket sales through Sunday. The third film from director James Cameron met pre-weekend financial forecasts, affirming the franchise’s continued relevance in the modern theatrical landscape.
Among 2025’s major Hollywood releases, “Fire and Ash” secured second place for opening weekend performance, positioning itself below the animated hit “Zootopia 2” and its impressive $556 million November launch. The film led North American box office rankings, accumulating $88 million from theaters across the United States and Canada, representing a significant portion of its global haul according to Disney’s official estimates.
“Fire and Ash” advances the ongoing narrative of Pandora’s Na’vi civilization, the towering blue beings who have captivated audiences since 2009. The opening weekend figures, while representing solid commercial performance, came in 35% lower than the domestic premiere of 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the sequel released after a 13-year gap that allowed anticipation to build to extraordinary levels among fans eager to experience Cameron’s visual innovations.
Box office specialist Jeff Bock from Exhibitor Relations Co. provided context for understanding the performance differential between installments. He observed that audiences didn’t approach this third film with the same level of pent-up enthusiasm that characterized the sequel’s reception, given the shorter interval between releases. Nevertheless, Bock expressed satisfaction with the results, particularly given the film’s release during the traditionally strong holiday corridor when families have more leisure time for moviegoing, predicting substantial box office activity through the end-of-year period.
The theater industry anticipates that “Fire and Ash” will help stimulate a broader recovery in moviegoing habits that persists throughout the next year. Statistical analysis from Comscore shows current year-to-date ticket sales marginally exceeding 2024 by 1.3% while remaining 22.5% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Cinema executives maintain confidence in their future prospects, pointing to a strong 2026 release calendar featuring Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” “Avengers: Doomsday,” and “Dune: Part Three” among other major titles. Cameron’s Avatar films have demonstrated unusual commercial longevity, continuing to generate revenue for weeks beyond typical theatrical runs. With Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington returning to voice Na’vi parents protecting their family and planet, and considering the franchise’s proven track record—$2.9 billion for the original and $2.3 billion for the sequel—industry observers expect “Fire and Ash” to follow a similar trajectory despite undisclosed production budgets and Cameron’s acknowledgment that these expensive ventures require enormous financial returns to justify continuing the series with planned fourth and fifth films in 2029 and 2031.