James Cameron’s latest chapter in the Avatar saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash, topped the U.S. box office on New Year’s Eve, bringing in an estimated $8 million on a day that traditionally sees low overall ticket sales. That performance helped sustain the film’s domestic momentum as it continues playing through the holiday season.

The movie has now passed $250 million in domestic box office receipts since its release, and industry trackers expect it to cross the $1 billion threshold worldwide shortly. This places Fire and Ash among the year’s larger theatrical earners even if it is not matching the unprecedented totals of its predecessors early in their runs.

Across the entire 2025 domestic market, U.S. and Canadian ticket sales ended the year around $8.9 billion. While this figure marked a slight improvement over 2024, cinema attendance still lagged behind pre-pandemic levels. Analysts have pointed to strong streaming options and ongoing releases outside the traditional blockbuster model as factors that continue to fragment audience attention.

Avatar: Fire and Ash opened with a healthy initial weekend and has sustained box office strength through Christmas and into the new year, even as other major releases like Zootopia 2 and Marty Supreme competed for audiences. The film’s global performance has been similarly robust, and Disney has benefited from its holiday performance both domestically and internationally.

Despite its commercial success, critical reception has been mixed, with some reviewers appreciating the visuals and spectacle while others criticized the film for repeating story beats from earlier entries. Still, the movie’s ability to attract audiences through the holiday and into 2026 underscores the enduring box office appeal of the Avatar franchise.