“Avatar: Fire and Ash” Continues Box Office Reign

Key Takeaways

• "Avatar: Fire and Ash" remains at the top of the box office for the fourth consecutive week, earning $21.3 million in North America.
• The film has grossed $342.6 million in North America and $888 million worldwide, becoming a billion-dollar earner.
• "Zootopia 2" continues to perform well, earning $10.1 million in its seventh week and becoming one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time.
• The movie industry is experiencing a strong start to 2026, with revenues up 23% from the same period in 2025.
• Several highly anticipated films, including new "Avengers," "Spider-Man," and "Toy Story" movies, are expected to be released in 2026.

Introduction to the Box Office
The box office has seen a quiet weekend, with "Avatar: Fire and Ash" maintaining its top spot for the fourth consecutive week. The film, which is the third chapter in James Cameron’s Pandora epic, earned $21.3 million in North American theaters, according to studio estimates. This brings the film’s total gross in North America to $342.6 million, with an additional $888 million earned worldwide. The film’s success has been impressive, and it has joined its two predecessors as a billion-dollar earner.

New Releases and Performances
The week’s top-grossing new release was Paramount Pictures’ "Primate," a rampaging-chimp horror film that earned $11.3 million domestically. Disney’s "Zootopia 2" continues to show remarkable staying power, earning $10.1 million in its seventh week and bringing its domestic total to $378.8 million. The film has become a global juggernaut, with a total gross of $1.65 billion, making it one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. The Sydney Sweeney-driven thriller "The Housemaid" also continues to perform well, earning $11.2 million in its fourth weekend and bringing its total to $94.15 million.

Awards and Nominations
The box office figures were released on a Sunday when much of Hollywood’s attention was focused on the Golden Globe Awards. "Avatar: Fire and Ash" and "Zootopia 2" are both nominated for two awards apiece, while A24’s "Marty Supreme" is nominated for best picture musical or comedy, with star Timothée Chalamet nominated for best actor in a comedy and cowriter and director Josh Safdie nominated for best screenplay. The film finished sixth at the box office, earning $7.6 million and bringing its four-week total to $70.1 million in North America.

Industry Trends and Outlook
The movie industry is coming off a poor 2025, where domestic moviegoing continued to slide. However, studios are hoping that 2026 could be the best box-office year of the decade, with several highly anticipated films set to be released. These include new "Avengers," "Spider-Man," "Toy Story," "Super Mario Bros," and "Dune" movies. The industry has started 2026 strongly, with revenues up 23% from the same period in 2025, according to data firm Comscore. This trend is expected to continue, with the total box office for 2026 currently up 23% from last year.

Top 10 Box Office Films
The top 10 films at the box office for the weekend were:

1. "Avatar: Fire and Ash," $21.3 million
2. "Primate," $11.3 million
3. "The Housemaid," $11.2 million
4. "Zootopia 2," $10.1 million
5. "Greenland 2: Migration," $8.5 million
6. "Marty Supreme," $7.6 million
7. "Anaconda," $5.1 million
8. "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants," $3.8 million
9. "David," $3.1 million
10. "Song Sung Blue," $3 million
    These figures are based on estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.