Avatar 3 Box Office Projections After Sunday
James Cameron’s Avatar 3 hit theaters on Friday, pulling in massive crowds right away. By Sunday morning, early numbers show it earned about $165 million domestically over the three-day opening weekend in North America. That’s a strong start, beating out the original Avatar’s $77 million debut back in 2009 when adjusted for inflation and market changes. Globally, the film has already crossed $320 million, thanks to huge hauls from China and other international markets.
Fans rushed to IMAX and 3D screenings, with reports saying over 70% of tickets sold were for premium formats. This matches the pattern from Avatar: The Way of Water, which relied on those big screens to drive revenue. Industry trackers like Box Office Mojo updated their figures late Saturday, projecting a final domestic weekend tally around $175 million to $185 million once all counts come in. That would make it the biggest December opening ever, topping The Rise of Skywalker from 2019.
Overseas performance looks even brighter. China alone delivered $75 million in its first two days, fueled by the franchise’s loyal following there. Europe and South Korea added another $100 million combined. Deadline Hollywood analysts now forecast a worldwide opening of $425 million to $450 million by Monday. If it holds steady through the holidays, some experts predict it could reach $2.2 billion total, challenging the first Avatar’s all-time record.
These projections come from real-time data shared by studios and theater chains. Exhibitor Relations, a key tracking firm, bumped their estimate up after Sunday’s early shows showed no drop-off. Variety reported that family audiences and repeat viewers are boosting numbers, with some theaters selling out multiple times. Even with competition from holdovers like Wicked 2, Avatar 3 dominates the charts.
Word of mouth is glowing so far, with CinemaScore giving it an A grade and PostTrak scores at 92% positive. That suggests strong legs into Christmas week. If projections hold, Disney and 20th Century Studios could see the quickest billion-dollar gross in franchise history. Analysts at The Numbers website are watching daily takes closely, noting Sunday matinees are pacing ahead of expectations.
Sources
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1757670/
https://deadline.com/2025/12/avatar-3-box-office-opening-weekend-1236405123/
https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/avatar-3-global-box-office-1236201456/
https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Avatar-3-(2025)#tab=summary
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/avatar-3-sunday-box-office-update-1236209876/
