The third installment of James Cameron's epic franchise, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," officially began its global release, grossing approximately $345 million. Despite becoming the second most successful Hollywood debut of 2025 (after "Zootropolis 2"), domestic box office receipts in the US were 35% lower than those of the previous sequel, "The Way of Water." This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
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Experts note that the lower excitement in the first days is due to a shorter pause between parts – viewers did not have time to miss Pandora as much as during the 13-year wait for the second film.
As for "Fire and Ash," audiences didn't miss it as much as the sequel. This is a great start to the holiday corridor. A huge box office hit is expected over the next two to three weekends.
James Cameron has repeatedly emphasized the extremely high cost of producing the series, which requires colossal profits for its continuation. Although Disney does not disclose the exact budget, the box office history of the first parts ($2.9 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively) indicates Cameron's ability to accumulate box office revenue over many months.
Cinemas expect that the success of "Fire and Ash" will be a boost for the industry, which is currently still 22.5% behind pre-pandemic 2019 ticket sales.