Why Ash and Fire Opening Data Looks Concerning
Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third movie in James Cameron’s blockbuster series, hits theaters on December 19, 2025. Fans expect it to dominate the box office like the first two films, which earned billions worldwide. But early ticket sales data from India raises some red flags about its opening day performance.
In India, advance bookings opened two weeks early on December 5. By 3:00 pm on December 12, the film had sold just 30,500 tickets across major chains like PVR Inox and Cinepolishttps://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/box-office-avatar-fire-ash-smashes-advances-rs-30-cr-opening-locked-biggest-hollywood-opener-2025-loading/. PVR Inox sold 24,000 tickets, while Cinepolis added 6,500. For the full opening weekend, sales reached 80,000 tickets in these chains. That sounds decent at first, but experts predict an opening day gross north of 30 crore rupees, about $3.6 million USD. This falls short of Avatar: The Way of Water’s massive 40 crore rupee debut in 2022https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/box-office-avatar-fire-ash-smashes-advances-rs-30-cr-opening-locked-biggest-hollywood-opener-2025-loading/.
The concern deepens when you compare it to past hits. Spider-Man: No Way Home opened stronger in India back in 2021. Avatar: Fire and Ash needs to beat that to match hype, yet current trends suggest it might not. Despite the franchise’s huge fanbase and premium 3D appeal, these numbers hint at softer demand right nowhttps://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/box-office-avatar-fire-ash-smashes-advances-rs-30-cr-opening-locked-biggest-hollywood-opener-2025-loading/.
Globally, tracking looks brighter with projections of $110 million or more for the domestic US opening weekendhttps://www.theomenmedia.com/post/igniting-billions-avatar-fire-and-ash-box-office-prediction-fuels-epic-speculationhttps://www.boxofficepro.com/long-range-forecast-avatar-fire-and-ash-tracking-to-exceed-the-way-of-waters-134m-opening/. Some forecasts even push it to $135-165 million, topping The Way of Water’s $134 million starthttps://www.boxofficepro.com/long-range-forecast-avatar-fire-and-ash-tracking-to-exceed-the-way-of-waters-134m-opening/. Still, the second film earned 20% less than the original worldwide, showing a dip even in a hot markethttps://www.theomenmedia.com/post/igniting-billions-avatar-fire-and-ash-box-office-prediction-fuels-epic-speculation.
Adding pressure, Christmas Day brings competition from films like the Anaconda reboot, which tracks strong at 54% awareness and 50% interest in surveys. Avatar leads with 73% awareness but only 54% interest, second to Toy Story 5https://screenrant.com/2025-movies-christmas-box-office-anaconda-reboot-tracking/. A crowded field could split audiences during the holiday rush.
James Cameron himself flags risks. He stresses cutting costs for future Avatar films, as high budgets from motion capture tech strain finances. Streaming’s rise means fewer theatergoers for big spectacles, he warnshttps://www.kz1023.com/2025/12/10/cost-cutting-may-create-more-avatar-films-after-fire-and-ash/. If Fire and Ash underperforms, plans for more sequels could shift.
These Indian advance figures stand out as the weakest signal amid mostly positive global buzz. With shows filling slowly despite early access, the data suggests enthusiasm might not match the franchise’s past peaks.
Sources
https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/box-office-avatar-fire-ash-smashes-advances-rs-30-cr-opening-locked-biggest-hollywood-opener-2025-loading/
https://www.theomenmedia.com/post/igniting-billions-avatar-fire-and-ash-box-office-prediction-fuels-epic-speculation
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