Avatar: Fire & Ash faces growing competition after $1.091B start

Movieweb reports that Avatar: Fire & Ash has rapidly crossed $1.091 billion worldwide as of January 6, 2026, but the third installment faces more box office rivals than expected despite its strong opening.

The film, released December 19, 2025, carries an estimated budget of $350–$400 million and has seen week-two and week-three declines of 29% and 37% respectively (via Deadline). Earlier franchise entries grossed $2.92 billion and $2.3 billion worldwide, and Fire & Ash remains No. 1 domestically while trailing Disney’s Zootopia 2 domestically ($366 million to $311 million) and worldwide ($1.6 billion to $1.091 billion). Smaller films such as The Housemaid ($95 million), Marty Supreme ($60 million), an Anaconda remake ($90 million internationally) and The SpongeBob Movie (over $113 million since December 19, 2025) have also chipped away at its box office.

Looking ahead, the title will contend with a crowded slate in January and beyond, including horror and action releases named in studio schedules for January and February and a long list of competitors expected in March and later. If past trends hold—Avatar took 41 days and Avatar 2 took 39 days to reach $2 billion—Avatar 3 (in theaters for 19 days and counting) could join the $2 billion club in the coming weeks, while its ability to reach $3 billion remains uncertain.

Key Topics

Culture, James Cameron, The Housemaid, Box Office