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“Avatar: Fire and Ash” continued its dominant run at the box office, claiming the top spot for a fourth consecutive weekend amid the typically slow January moviegoing season. The third installment in James Cameron’s visually stunning Pandora saga earned $21.3 million in North American theaters, according to studio estimates released Sunday by The Walt Disney Co.
The film has now amassed an impressive $342.6 million domestically and $888 million internationally, pushing its global total past the coveted $1 billion milestone. This achievement places “Fire and Ash” in the same elite company as its predecessors, “Avatar” (2009) and “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022), both of which were record-breaking box office phenomena.
Paramount Pictures’ horror thriller “Primate,” featuring a rampaging chimpanzee, debuted in second place with $11.3 million. The modestly budgeted film represents a solid opening for the studio in a month typically characterized by lower theater attendance.
Not far behind in third place was Lionsgate’s “The Housemaid,” starring Sydney Sweeney. The thriller continued to demonstrate remarkable staying power, collecting $11.2 million in its fourth weekend for a domestic total of $94.15 million. With production costs of just $35 million, the film has been highly profitable for Lionsgate, which has already greenlit a sequel based on its strong performance.
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” claimed the fourth spot with $10.1 million domestically in its seventh week of release. The animated sequel has displayed extraordinary longevity since its November debut, accumulating $378.8 million in North America. Globally, the film has earned a staggering $1.65 billion, placing it on the cusp of becoming Disney’s highest-grossing animated feature ever, just shy of the $1.66 billion generated by 2019’s photorealistic remake of “The Lion King.”
“Zootopia 2” has been particularly successful in China, where it has resonated strongly with audiences and contributed significantly to its international haul.
Rounding out the top five was “Greenland 2: Migration” with $8.5 million. The disaster film sequel has performed steadily since its release, adding to the genre’s enduring popularity among moviegoers.
A24’s “Marty Supreme,” starring Timothée Chalamet, landed in sixth place with $7.6 million, bringing its four-week domestic total to $70.1 million. The film has garnered critical acclaim and awards recognition, receiving Golden Globe nominations for best picture musical or comedy, best actor in a comedy for Chalamet, and best screenplay for co-writer and director Josh Safdie.
The industry’s attention was divided this weekend between box office results and the Golden Globe Awards ceremony. Both “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Zootopia 2” received two nominations each at the prestigious awards show, highlighting their critical as well as commercial success.
Overall, Hollywood has started 2026 on a positive note, with revenues this weekend up 23% compared to the same period in 2025, according to data from Comscore. The year-to-date total is also tracking 23% higher than last year, offering a welcome boost for studios following a disappointing 2025 that saw continued decline in theatrical attendance.
The movie industry is optimistic that 2026 could potentially be the strongest box office year of the decade, with highly anticipated releases from major franchises including new installments in the “Avengers,” “Spider-Man,” “Toy Story,” “Super Mario Bros,” and “Dune” universes.
Other films in the weekend’s top ten included the horror reboot “Anaconda” ($5.1 million), “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” ($3.8 million), the biblical epic “David” ($3.1 million), and the musical drama “Song Sung Blue” ($3 million).
Final domestic figures will be released Monday, confirming the weekend’s results across U.S. and Canadian theaters.
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9 Comments
Overall, it’s an interesting mix of films dominating the box office right now. The continued success of ‘Avatar’ shows the enduring appeal of big-budget sci-fi/fantasy, while the breakout of ‘Primate’ and the staying power of ‘The Housemaid’ demonstrate the diversity of audience tastes. The industry will be closely watching these trends.
As someone interested in the mining and commodities space, I’m curious to see if any of the box office success of these films will translate to increased interest or investment in the real-world industries they may be depicting. The ‘Avatar’ franchise has always had strong environmental themes.
That’s a good point. The popularity of ‘Avatar’ could potentially drive more attention and funding towards sustainable mining practices and renewable energy technologies. It will be interesting to see if there are any tangible impacts on the commodities markets.
I’m intrigued by ‘The Housemaid’ and its remarkable staying power. Four weeks in the top 3 is no small feat. The thriller genre has been delivering some strong performers lately. Definitely going to have to check this one out.
Agreed. It’s great to see lesser-known films like ‘The Housemaid’ finding an audience and holding their own against the blockbusters. Quality storytelling can still draw people to theaters.
It’s good to see a newcomer like ‘Primate’ performing well, even if it’s in second place. Horror thrillers can be hit-or-miss, but a solid $11 million debut is a promising start. Curious to see how it holds up in the coming weeks.
Absolutely. Especially in the typically slow January movie season, a new horror film breaking into the top 2 is a noteworthy achievement. Audiences seem eager for some fresh content.
Wow, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is really dominating the box office. Impressive that it’s managed to stay on top for four straight weeks. I wonder what it is about this latest installment that’s resonating so strongly with audiences.
Probably the stunning visuals and immersive world of Pandora that James Cameron has created. The ‘Avatar’ films have set a new standard for cinematic spectacle.