Avatar 3 Opens Lower Than 2nd Movie but It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint

Avatar: Fire and Ash has stormed into theaters with one of the biggest global openings at the box office, but its debut still trails behind the franchise’s previous one. Despite impressive worldwide numbers and several industry records, the third trip to Pandora opened softer than 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water.

Avatar: Fire & Ash earns almost $350 million at global box office opening

Avatar: Fire & Ash launched with $88 million box office domestically, landing slightly below projections and a noticeable drop from The Way of Water, which bowed to $134 million in North America. Internationally, Fire & Ash added $257 million, pushing its global opening weekend to $345 million, which is one of the biggest worldwide debuts of 2025 (via Box Office Mojo). But again, short of the second film’s $435 million global start.

That contrast fuels the dilemma – Avatar: Fire and Ash is breaking records, yet still underperforming compared to its immediate predecessor. However, historically, opening weekends have never defined the Avatar brand. After all, the original Avatar opened to a modest $77 million domestically before dominating theaters for seven straight weekends and climbing to $2.92 billion worldwide. The Way of Water followed a similar pattern, holding the No. 1 spot for seven weekends and finishing with $2.3 billion globally.

That legacy shapes expectations for Fire and Ash. While its opening shows some diminishing returns, the franchise’s real strength lies in endurance, especially during the lucrative Christmas corridor. Premium screens played a major role in the opening weekend, with IMAX and 3D accounting for 66% of ticket sales. Younger viewers also turned out in force, as 38% of the audience was 25 or younger, suggesting the franchise still resonates beyond long-time fans.

Like its predecessors, Avatar 3 carries a massive price tag, reportedly costing at least $350 million to produce, excluding marketing expenses. While it doesn’t need to surpass $2 billion to turn a profit, the film is expected to perform as a global juggernaut, especially with a 3-hour-and-17-minute runtime that limits daily showtimes (via Variety).

Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on SuperHeroHype.

Source: Comingsoon.net