Avatar 3, titled Fire and Ash, did not have specific Saturday box office figures reported yet in early estimates as of Sunday morning. Friday earnings stood at $36.5 million domestically, including $12 million from previews, pointing to a projected domestic opening weekend of $85 million to $90 million. For more details, check out https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/box-office-avatar-3-nabs-mere-37m and https://www.darkhorizons.com/third-avatar-early-box-office-numbers/.
James Cameron’s latest Pandora adventure opened amid strong competition from films like David and The Housemaid. This Friday haul marks a drop from Avatar: The Way of Water’s $134 million debut in 2022, but the market feels healthier now with multiple movies drawing crowds. Internationally, the film grabbed $43.1 million from Wednesday and Thursday openings, topping the charts in places like Australia and parts of Europe. By Friday, overseas totals hit $100.4 million after three days, with China adding $17.2 million through that point and jumping to about $41 million by Saturday estimates. South Korea chipped in $4.3 million on Saturday alone.
Fans gave it an A CinemaScore despite mixed critic reviews, which could fuel legs over the holiday season. Globally, early tracks suggest a $340 million to $350 million opening weekend. See projections here from https://insidethemagic.net/2025/12/avatar-fire-and-ash-opening-weekend-box-office-th1/.
Saturday numbers often come later in the day as theaters report in, so full updates should appear soon. This front-loaded start fits the Avatar pattern, relying on word of mouth and repeat visits rather than a huge single-day splash.
Sources
https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/box-office-avatar-3-nabs-mere-37m
https://www.darkhorizons.com/third-avatar-early-box-office-numbers/
https://insidethemagic.net/2025/12/avatar-fire-and-ash-opening-weekend-box-office-th1/
