Avatar: Fire and Ash launched with $88 million in North America. This met industry projections for the weekend. According to Reuters, the international performance was the key driver.The film earned a massive $257 million overseas. Its China debut alone contributed $57.6 million. This marked a record opening for a Hollywood film in that market.The global total reached $345 million. However, this is less than the last Avatar film. Avatar: The Way of Water opened to $441 million in 2022.Disney released the film globally. The studio confirmed the weekend estimates. The figures show a solid but not historic start for the franchise.
The opening weekend was not the biggest of the year. Several other films debuted to higher numbers. This is a surprise for the costly sci-fi franchise.Zootopia 2 holds the year's record with a $560 million opening. The animated sequel outperformed Avatar 3 significantly. Other films also topped the new Avatar.Barbie opened to $356 million last year. Moana 2 launched with $389 million this fall. Even the Chinese film Ne Zha 2 started with $431 million.The comparisons highlight a shifting box office landscape. Big-budget franchise films no longer guarantee record openings. Audience preferences are diversifying globally.
James Cameron has plans for more sequels. Avatar 4 is scheduled for release in 2029. A fifth film is slated for 2031.The first Avatar film remains the highest-grossing of all time. It earned $2.9 billion worldwide. The sequel, The Way of Water, made $2.3 billion.The new film stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington. Oona Chaplin joins the cast as a new villain. The story continues the saga of the Na'vi on Pandora.
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