Both movies underline Disney’s continued strength at the global box office during the holiday season
James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash has delivered a strong global box office opening, earning $345 million worldwide in its first major frame, according to studio estimates.
While the launch marks a notable debut, it represents a decline from its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water, which opened to $435 million over the same period in 2022.
The third instalment in the Avatar franchise, released by Disney and 20th Century, generated $257 million from international markets and $88 million domestically. Despite the drop, the opening ranks as the second-largest global debut of 2025, trailing only Disney’s animated sequel Zootopia 2, which opened to $500 million.
Fire and Ash faces significant expectations due to the franchise’s history and scale. The first two Avatar films each surpassed $2 billion worldwide, while the latest entry reportedly carries a production budget of $350 million, alongside an estimated $150 million marketing spend. Historically, Avatar films have shown strong longevity during the holiday period rather than relying solely on opening weekend performance.
International audiences remain central to the film’s prospects. China led overseas markets with a $57.6 million opening, slightly ahead of The Way of Water. Other key territories included France with $21.4 million, Germany with $18 million, South Korea with $13.6 million and the United Kingdom with $11.9 million. Premium formats accounted for 66% of ticket sales, with Imax alone contributing $43.6 million globally.
Meanwhile, Disney continued its box office dominance as Zootopia 2 added $76.6 million overseas and $91 million globally in its fourth weekend. The animated sequel has amassed $990 million internationally and $1.27 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood release of the year and placing it on track to become only the second animated film to surpass $1 billion outside North America.
Together, the performances of Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2 underline Disney’s continued strength at the global box office during the holiday season.
