The festive box office frame belonged once again to James Cameron, as Avatar: Fire and Ash topped Christmas Eve earnings with $10.7 million from 3,800 North American theaters on Wednesday. The opening week momentum continues to hold steady, even as the mid-week holiday draw trails behind Avatar: The Way of Water, which collected $14.8 million on Christmas Eve 2022 — a year when the date fell on a Saturday, traditionally one of the busiest cinema days of the season.
With families stepping out for year-end releases, the threequel is headed for a promising festive run. Industry projections place its Thursday-to-Sunday haul between $75 million and $80 million, reinforcing confidence around its staying power through the New Year corridor. After just one week in release, Avatar: Fire and Ash stands at $129.6 million domestically and $353.7 million from overseas markets, lifting its global total to $483.3 million. Disney’s 20th Century Studios will be banking on strong holiday legs as premium formats continue driving a significant share of revenue.
Zootopia 2 Maintains Roaring Momentum
Disney’s animated giant Zootopia 2 held the second spot on Wednesday with $3.2 million from 3,540 cinemas, showing a firm grip despite holiday competition. Since its Thanksgiving-timed debut, the film has surged to $296 million in North America and an exceptional $1.3 billion worldwide, officially making it the year’s highest-grossing Hollywood release. The family audience base remains strong, placing Zootopia 2 as a long-legged holiday performer with clear commercial dominance.
Angel Studios’ biblical drama David retained third place with $2.58 million and continues to play steadily across faith-centric markets, now reaching $32.4 million domestically. Word-of-mouth positioning and targeted viewership remain core to its run as the festive window expands competition.
New Releases Step In — Anaconda & Marty Supreme Begin Holiday Play
The Christmas frame also welcomed multiple fresh titles in preview shows. Sony’s meta-reboot Anaconda — produced at an estimated $45 million budget — opened with $2.1 million during Wednesday previews across 2,808 screens. The adventure-comedy follows two best friends heading into the jungle to remake their favorite 1997 classic, only to find themselves hunted by a real giant anaconda. With nostalgia marketing and a broad PG-13 appeal, the film is projected to collect around $20 million through the four-day holiday stretch, setting it up for word-of-mouth-driven weekend growth.
A24’s sports dramedy Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, registered $2.01 million in previews from 2,668 theaters. While the early figure is modest compared to franchise fare, A24 releases historically thrive through critical pull and slow-burn theatrical legs. The title enters Christmas with potential for steady build-up as the season progresses.
Christmas Eve Top Performers — Snapshot
Avatar: Fire and Ash led the market at $10.7M, followed by Zootopia 2 at $3.2M, and David close behind with $2.58M. Newcomers Anaconda and Marty Supreme joined the board through previews at $2.1M and $2.01M respectively, rounding off a diverse holiday slate.
The every-genre mix — sci-fi spectacle, family animation, faith drama and comedy chaos — positions this weekend as one of the most commercially varied frames in months. With premium formats booked out in major cities and families returning to theatres, the final week of 2025 is shaping into a lucrative finish for Hollywood’s year.
Note: Box office Numbers are subject to change with more updates.
