James Cameron’s latest blockbuster, Avatar: Fire and Ash, delivered a mixed opening weekend at the global box office, falling short of expectations in the United States while posting a strong performance in China that continues the franchise’s long-standing appeal in the international market.
The third installment in the Avatar series opened to $88 million domestically over its first weekend in North America. While the figure would represent a solid debut for most films, it landed below industry projections, which had forecast a $100 million-plus domestic opening. By comparison, 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water debuted to $134 million domestically, highlighting a noticeable decline in U.S. opening momentum for the franchise.
A screenshot from the trailer to Avatar: Fire and Ash – YouTube, Avatar
READ: Indie Game Awards Strip Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of GOTY Award Over AI Use
Despite the softer domestic launch, Fire and Ash has performed significantly better overseas—particularly in China, where it quickly emerged as one of Hollywood’s strongest post-lockdown openings.
According to box office data cited by Koimoi, Fire and Ash earned $41.3 million in China within its first two days, including $24.1 million on Saturday alone, across more than 155,000 screenings. That Saturday total was enough to surpass the first-Saturday grosses of The Way of Water ($20.9 million) and Jurassic World Dominion ($21.8 million), making it the fifth-biggest Saturday for a Hollywood film in China in the post-lockdown era.
A screenshot from the trailer to Avatar: Fire and Ash – YouTube, Avatar
The film now sits behind only Fast X, Godzilla vs. Kong, F9, and Zootopia 2 on that list. Analysts cited by the outlet noted a 40.1% jump from Friday to Saturday, indicating strong word-of-mouth and walk-up ticket sales. Approximately 64% of Saturday tickets were purchased on the day of show, suggesting demand extended beyond advance bookings.
Pre-sales for Sunday in China reached $6.4 million, and the film is expected to finish its three-day opening weekend in the country with $57 million to $60 million, a total that would rank among the largest Hollywood openings in China since theaters reopened after the pandemic.
A screenshot from the trailer to Avatar: Fire and Ash – YouTube, Avatar
READ: James Gunn Confirms Lars Eidinger Cast as Brainiac in DCU’s Man of Tomorrow
The contrast between domestic and international performance was evident in early global totals. Koimoi estimates placed Fire and Ash at approximately $36.5 million in North America, $100.4 million internationally, and $136.9 million worldwide within the opening window. While international figures dominate the early global tally, domestic revenue represents a smaller share of the overall total than seen in previous Avatar releases.
The film’s domestic opening also faced stiff competition during the holiday corridor. Angel Studios’ animated biblical feature David debuted to $22 million, setting a new opening-weekend record for a faith-based animated release. Meanwhile, Sydney Sweeney’s The Housemaid opened to $19 million, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants launched with $16 million, further fragmenting the domestic marketplace.
A screenshot from the trailer to Avatar: Fire and Ash – YouTube, Avatar
Historically, the Avatar franchise has relied less on front-loaded box office debuts and more on extended theatrical runs. The original Avatar opened to just $77 million domestically before going on to earn $2.92 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. The Way of Water similarly demonstrated strong staying power, ultimately reaching $2.3 billion globally after a moderate opening relative to its final total.
Whether Fire and Ash will follow a similar trajectory remains to be seen, but its early performance illustrates a growing pattern for the franchise: international markets, particularly China, are now driving the bulk of opening-weekend revenue, while U.S. box office performance has become more muted by comparison.
James Cameron in an interview with GQ – YouTube, GQ
READ: ‘Supergirl’ Trailer Receives More Backlash in 24 Hours Than ‘Superman’ Did in Six Months
China has long been a critical market for James Cameron’s films, and Fire and Ash appears to be continuing that trend. The film remained number one at the local box office during its opening weekend in the region, reinforcing the franchise’s enduring popularity with Chinese audiences even as Hollywood faces broader challenges in attracting moviegoers domestically.
As the holiday season continues, industry observers will be watching whether Avatar: Fire and Ash can maintain momentum overseas—and whether sustained international strength can compensate for its underwhelming U.S. debut.
A screenshot from Avatar: The Way of Water – YouTube, Avatar
For now, the film’s opening weekend paints a clear picture: strong global demand, led by China, contrasted by a domestic performance that failed to meet expectations.
What do you think Avatar: Fire and Ash will do at the box office? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
UP NEXT: Third Avatar Down Nearly 40% in Ticket Sales Versus “Way of Water” in Opening Weekend
It looks like Cameron will get his wish: the film will do well enough to be a decent success, but not enough of a success Disney will lock in another 25 years of sequels and James can go do something else.
Domestically, I think it is clear the 2nd movie was riding the coat tails of the first with fans expecting the same magic that propelled the first to the highest heights. Unfortunately, it was basically just a CGI cartoon with nothing new to add. After that fairly disappointing installment I think people aren’t as willing to jump in on Fire + Ash.
They may still go and enjoy it, but it isn’t going to be the biggest movie evar.