Hollywood has roared into 2026 with a powerful start at the box office, led by the unstoppable force of James Cameron's 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. The film clinched the top spot for the third consecutive weekend, crossing a monumental financial milestone and sparking hopes for a blockbuster-filled year ahead. This strong opening act comes as a much-needed relief after a disappointing and sluggish 2025 for cinema halls worldwide.
Avatar's Fiery Billion-Dollar Ascent
The third chapter in the Pandora saga, 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', has officially joined the elite billion-dollar club in just three weeks of release. According to studio estimates released on Sunday, the film added another $40 million from North American theaters in its third weekend. Its global haul now stands impressively over the $1 billion mark.
The Walt Disney Company celebrated this achievement, stating it "cements another monumental achievement for James Cameron's groundbreaking franchise." The film's performance has been significantly powered by international audiences, with overseas collections contributing a massive $777.1 million to its total so far.
Holiday Season Boosts Diverse Line-Up
The recent holiday period, with most schools still on break, proved lucrative for the entire industry. While 'Avatar' led the charge, a variety of other films demonstrated remarkable staying power, indicating healthy audience appetite.
Disney's animated sequel 'Zootopia 2', which opened back in November, landed in second place with $19 million, dipping a mere 4% from the previous weekend. Its six-week global total has now reached a staggering $1.59 billion, making it Disney's second highest-grossing animated film ever, trailing only the 2019 remake of 'The Lion King'.
The twisty thriller 'The Housemaid', starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, continued its successful run for Lionsgate. It earned $14.9 million over the weekend, bringing its three-week domestic total to $75.7 million. Notably, it fell just 3% from its previous weekend numbers. Made on a modest budget of $35 million, the film has also added $57.3 million from international markets.
Star power proved to be a significant draw elsewhere. Just as Sweeney's presence boosted 'The Housemaid', Timothée Chalamet's appeal fueled 'Marty Supreme'. The A24 release held strong in its third weekend, grossing an estimated $12.6 million. Its North American total now stands at $56 million, surpassing the worldwide collection of director Josh Safdie's previous hit, 'Uncut Gems'.
A Tentative Turnaround After a Weak 2025
The robust performance across the board marks a promising shift. Overall weekend sales were up 26.5% compared to the same weekend in 2025, as per data firm Comscore. This uptick is crucial as the industry recovers from a poor 2025.
Last year, moviegoing in the U.S. and Canada continued to slide, with ticket sales reaching $8.9 billion. While this was a 2% increase from 2024, it remained about 20% below pre-pandemic levels. This slight improvement was less than expected and was partly driven by higher ticket prices. The actual number of tickets sold declined from over 800 million in 2024 to around 780 million in 2025.
However, studios are now cautiously optimistic that 2026 could become the best box-office year of the decade. A packed release calendar featuring major franchises like new 'Toy Story', 'Avengers: Doomsday', 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', 'Super Mario Bros', and 'Dune Part Three' movies has raised hopes for a sustained turnaround.
The top 10 films for the weekend, with final domestic figures to be released on Monday, are estimated as follows:
- "Avatar: Fire and Ash," $40 million.
- "Zootopia 2," $19 million.
- "The Housemaid," $14.9 million.
- "Marty Supreme," $12.6 million.
- "Anaconda," $10 million.
- "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants," $8.2 million.
- "David," $8 million.
- "Song Sung Blue," $5.9 million.
- "Wicked: For Good," $3.3 million.
- "Five Nights at Freddy's 2," $2.7 million.
