Avatar 3 tops the North American box office on opening weekend

Monday 22 December 2025 - 08:30

By: Sahili Aya

The third installment of James Cameron’s Avatar franchise has taken the top spot at the North American box office upon its theatrical release, according to estimates published Sunday by industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Titled Avatar: Fire and Ash, the film generated an estimated 88 million dollars in ticket sales in the United States and Canada during its opening weekend, which coincided with the period ahead of the Christmas holidays. Globally, the film earned around 345 million dollars in its first days in theaters.

Industry analysts expect the film to perform strongly overseas, noting the global appeal of the Avatar universe. According to box-office expert David Gross, the franchise continues to attract audiences worldwide, supported by strong word-of-mouth.

Produced by 20th Century Studios, the new chapter once again stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana as Jake Sully and Neytiri, who face a new threat endangering their family on the planet Pandora.

Second place at the North American box office went to David, an animated film inspired by the biblical story of David and Goliath, with 20 million dollars in revenue. The Housemaid, adapted from the novel by Freida McFadden and starring Sydney Sweeney, ranked third with 19 million dollars.

Animated releases continued to dominate the rankings, with SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie – All for One, All Pirates! debuting in fourth place, followed by Disney’s Zootopia 2, which has already surpassed 1.27 billion dollars in global earnings.