Record-breaking start for Avatar 3: Box office numbers exceed expectations

Avatar Fire and Ash premiered on December 19, and from the first days, it was clear that James Cameron has once again confirmed his status as one of the most successful directors in film history. Fire and Ash posted the second-best global opening of the year, trailing only the animated hit Zootopia 2.

In North America, the film earned 88 million dollars. This result is lower than the debut of Avatar: The Way of Water, which opened with 134 million in 2022, but surpasses the first Avatar (2009), which earned 77 million during its opening weekend.

As analysts predicted, the main financial success came from the international box office, which brought in 257 million dollars, including 58 million from China.

First weekend not decisive

Analysts emphasize that for James Cameron's films, a blockbuster opening is traditionally not decisive. Previous installments of the franchise showed so-called long legs – gradual but steady box office growth over several months, especially during the Christmas and New Year period. This pattern could repeat with Fire and Ash, as the film received the highest audience score from CinemaScore, A.

Premium formats also contributed to the success. About two-thirds of box office revenue came from IMAX and 3D screenings, confirming once again that audiences are willing to pay more for the large-scale visual spectacle the Avatar franchise is known for.

Cameron is one of the highest-grossing directors

Thanks to the new film, the total global earnings of the trilogy have exceeded 5.6 billion dollars, strengthening Cameron’s unique status in film history. He remains the only director whose three films are among the ten highest-grossing of all time:

• Avatar (2009) – 2.92 billion;

• Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) – 2.3 billion;

• Titanic (1997) – 2.26 billion;

The future of the franchise now depends directly on the financial performance of Fire and Ash. Although the scripts for the fourth and fifth parts are ready and some material has already been filmed, Disney and 20th Century Studios are waiting for convincing results.

According to insiders, the budget of the third installment exceeded 350 million dollars, not including marketing costs.

A particular challenge for the release was the film’s long runtime of 3 hours and 17 minutes, which limits the number of screenings in theaters. However, experience shows that for Cameron fans, the length of his films has never been an obstacle, especially when it comes to the epic story of Pandora.