The US domestic box office opened the new year with a familiar ruler at the top. Avatar: Fire and Ash continued its commanding run in North America, collecting an estimated $40 million in its third weekend from over 3,800 theatres. While January is traditionally a quieter period for cinemas, James Cameron’s latest return to Pandora has shown little sign of slowing down, pairing steady domestic momentum with a massive global footprint that now places the film firmly in blockbuster territory.
Beyond its weekend hold, Avatar: Fire and Ash crossed a major milestone worldwide, racing past the $1 billion mark after just 18 days in release. The film has now amassed approximately $306 million in North America and $777.1 million from international markets, bringing its global total to about $1.08 billion. The pace is marginally slower than 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which hit the milestone in 14 days, and the original Avatar, which reached it in 17 days. Yet the comparison only reinforces a familiar pattern: Cameron’s films are built less for speed and more for endurance, relying on sustained theatrical play rather than front-loaded hype.
Internationally, the third Avatar chapter continues to lean heavily on overseas audiences, much like its predecessors. China remains a key driver, with the film pulling in around $138 million so far, followed by strong performances in France, Germany, and South Korea. Historically, the Avatar franchise has demonstrated extraordinary legs outside North America, with the 2009 original earning over $2.1 billion internationally and The Way of Water generating roughly $1.65 billion overseas. Whether Fire and Ash ultimately approaches the $2 billion mark remains an open question, but its early trajectory suggests that longevity, not volatility, will determine its final standing.
For Cameron, the milestone represents yet another career benchmark. Fire and Ash is now his fourth film to surpass $1 billion worldwide, joining Titanic and the first two Avatar entries. It also reignites discussion around the future of the Pandora saga. While Cameron has previously outlined plans for a five-film arc, he has been candid about the business realities shaping those ambitions, noting that the performance of the current chapter will ultimately determine how far the series continues. For now, the numbers indicate that audiences are still very much willing to return to Pandora.
Behind Avatar, the early-January domestic chart was defined by holdovers from the lucrative Christmas corridor. Zootopia 2 remained a dominant presence in second place, earning about $19 million in its sixth weekend with a negligible drop from the previous frame. The animated sequel has now grossed roughly $363 million domestically and an extraordinary $1.58 billion worldwide. In doing so, it recently overtook Frozen 2 to become the highest-grossing release in the history of Walt Disney Animation Studios, underscoring the film’s exceptional staying power and broad family appeal.
Lionsgate’s psychological thriller The Housemaid climbed to third place with approximately $14.9 million, posting one of the smallest declines in the top ten. The R-rated drama has now earned around $75 million in North America and about $133 million globally, a strong result relative to its modest $35 million production budget. In a marketplace often dominated by franchise fare, The Housemaid has quietly emerged as one of the season’s most efficient performers, demonstrating continued appetite for adult-oriented thrillers when positioned correctly.
Fourth place went to A24’s Marty Supreme, which collected roughly $12.5 million in its third weekend. The Timothée Chalamet-led dramedy has now crossed $56 million domestically, placing it among A24’s most commercially successful releases to date. However, the film also carries the distinction of being the studio’s most expensive production, with a reported budget of around $70 million. Its box office journey now hinges on how well it sustains interest through the quieter winter weeks, balancing critical acclaim with commercial necessity.
Sony’s action comedy Anaconda held steady in fifth place, adding $10 million in its second weekend. The reboot has now earned close to $46 million domestically and around $88 million worldwide against a $45 million production budget. While not a breakout hit, the film is maintaining a functional run, positioning itself as a mid-tier performer rather than a misfire in a competitive post-holiday landscape.
Further down the chart, Paramount’s latest SpongeBob adventure continued to show resilience in the family space, while Universal’s Wicked: For Good extended its long theatrical tail, pushing its domestic total to nearly $340 million after seven weekends. Focus Features’ musical drama Song Sung Blue also displayed notable stability, edging closer to breakeven territory with steady niche appeal rather than blockbuster scale.
From a wider market perspective, the early signs for 2026 are encouraging. According to Comscore, domestic box office revenues are currently pacing more than 25% ahead of the same point last year. While January numbers are rarely predictive on their own, the consistency shown by multiple holdovers suggests a healthier theatrical ecosystem than the industry experienced in the immediate post-pandemic years. With major releases such as Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie still to come, exhibitors are cautiously optimistic about the months ahead.
For now, the story of the weekend remains firmly centered on Avatar: Fire and Ash. In a traditionally subdued period, Cameron’s sci-fi epic has provided both scale and stability, anchoring the domestic market while continuing to rack up colossal numbers worldwide. January may be calm, but the box office, led by Pandora once again, is anything but quiet.