James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash held the No. 1 spot for a fourth straight weekend, earning an estimated $21.3 million from 3,700 theaters between Friday and Sunday and lifting its domestic total to $342.6 million and its global cume to $1.23 billion. Newcomer Primate opened strongly in second place with about $11.3 million from 2,964 venues and an additional $2.1 million overseas for a $13.4 million global start. Lionsgate’s The Housemaid stayed competitive with roughly $11.2 million this weekend, while family and franchise titles Zootopia 2 and Greenland 2 filled out the top five. Weekend estimates remain preliminary; final box office tallies will be posted on Monday.
Key Takeaways
- Avatar: Fire and Ash topped the weekend with $21.3 million from 3,700 theaters, bringing its domestic cume to $342.6 million and global receipts to $1.23 billion.
- Primate opened with an estimated $11.3 million from 2,964 venues and $2.1 million internationally, a $13.4 million global debut; it carries a reported $21 million production budget and earned a CinemaScore of B-.
- The Housemaid continues to perform well in its fourth weekend with an estimated $11.2 million this frame, a North American total of $94.15 million and $192 million worldwide on a $35 million budget.
- Zootopia 2 fell to fourth with $10.1 million in its seventh weekend, pushing its domestic total to $378.8 million and global to $1.65 billion, now Disney Animation’s highest-grossing release.
- Greenland 2 opened to about $8.5 million from 2,710 locations; the sequel was produced for $90 million by STX with Lionsgate buying domestic rights for $10 million and received a CinemaScore of B-.
- Marty Supreme reached $7.3 million this weekend from 2,512 theaters (down roughly 38%), moving its North American total past $70 million on a $70 million budget.
- Smaller releases and platform expansions included Is This Thing On? ($2.3M, 1,475 theaters), No Other Choice ($1.3M, 147 theaters) and I Was a Stranger ($1.2M, 1,400 theaters).
Background
The start of the calendar year is traditionally a slower stretch for theaters, but tentpole holdovers and a handful of new releases can still shape overall industry momentum. Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third Na’vi-set installment from director James Cameron and has sustained box office strength since release, benefiting from a broad global footprint and premium format ticketing. Studios often place adult-skewing, awards-aimed films and mid-budget genre fare in the early months to spread out the release calendar and avoid the crowded summer season.
Paramount launched Primate under its production pact with 18Hz, the company led by former DC Films chief Walter Hamada; the film’s modest $21 million budget positions it to break even or profit with strong domestic legs and ancillary deals. Lionsgate’s The Housemaid—an R-rated psychological thriller with a $35 million production cost—has shown durable box office returns that amplify the value of mid-budget genre fare in theatrical windows.
International market performance remains a critical variable for many titles, particularly action and disaster pictures whose overseas appeal can substantially change profitability calculations. Studios and distributors weigh theatrical receipts alongside early digital, rental and streaming windows when determining a project’s ultimate financial outcome.
Main Event
Avatar: Fire and Ash led the frame with an estimated $21.3 million from 3,700 theaters, about double the receipts of its nearest rivals. The film’s cumulative domestic gross now stands at $342.6 million, with a worldwide total of $1.23 billion—figures that underline the franchise’s continued drawing power more than a decade after the original release.
Primate debuted to an estimated $11.3 million across 2,964 locations, with an additional $2.1 million reported from international markets for a $13.4 million global opening. Early exit polling via CinemaScore assigned the film a B-, signaling mixed audience reactions as viewers digest the film’s tension-driven premise about a violent chimpanzee disrupting a tropical vacation.
The Housemaid showed staying power in its fourth weekend, adding roughly $11.2 million and pushing North American receipts to $94.15 million and worldwide gross to $192 million. The film’s result is notable given its $35 million production cost and R rating, which can limit some audience segments but has not prevented strong theatrical performance.
Zootopia 2 continued as a major family draw, taking in an estimated $10.1 million in week seven to lift its domestic total to $378.8 million and global to $1.65 billion. That haul makes it Walt Disney Animation’s highest-grossing film, a rare legacy-level result for a modern animated sequel.
Greenland 2, starring Gerard Butler, opened to about $8.5 million from 2,710 theaters. The sequel—produced by STX for roughly $90 million with Lionsgate buying U.S. rights for $10 million—follows a family in a world devastated by a comet. Early audience response produced a B- CinemaScore, leaving wider international performance and post-theatrical revenue streams important to the title’s profitability.
Analysis & Implications
The weekend underscores the dominance of established franchises and event films in stabilizing box office revenue. Avatar’s continued run demonstrates how tentpole properties with international appeal and premium-format pricing can anchor theatrical calendars into the new year. For studios, extending the box office tail on megafranchises remains one of the most reliable paths to robust global tallies.
Openers like Primate and Greenland 2 reflect divergent risk profiles: a modestly budgeted thriller with a mid-tier opening and a higher-cost disaster sequel that needs stronger international legs. Primate’s B- suggests middling word-of-mouth that could compress legs, while Greenland 2’s genre and star power may translate into steadier overseas receipts where Gerard Butler retains marketplace recognition.
The Housemaid’s continued success demonstrates the upside for well-crafted R-rated thrillers that attract adult audiences outside blockbuster demographics. Its $192 million worldwide return on a $35 million budget exemplifies how targeted content can deliver outsized returns when production costs are controlled and marketing reaches the right viewers.
Looking ahead, January’s box office trajectory will hinge on a slate of upcoming releases—studio action, horror, and anime adaptations—that can revive weekday attendance and broaden theatrical choices. If titles like All You Need Is Kill, Mercy, Send Help and Shelter overperform, the early-year box office could close the gap toward pre-pandemic levels; underperformance would spotlight the continued importance of franchise and event films for exhibitors’ health.
Comparison & Data
| Film | Weekend ($M) | Theaters | Domestic Total ($M) | Worldwide ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar: Fire and Ash | 21.3 | 3,700 | 342.6 | 1,230 |
| Primate | 11.3 | 2,964 | 11.3 | 13.4 |
| The Housemaid | 11.2 | — | 94.15 | 192 |
| Zootopia 2 | 10.1 | — | 378.8 | 1,650 |
| Greenland 2 | 8.5 | 2,710 | 8.5 | — |
The table highlights the gulf between long-running franchise grosses and single-week openings. Avatar and Zootopia 2 derive outsized totals from extended runs and premium pricing, whereas newer titles must rely on opening-weekend momentum and international sales to build meaningful revenue. For mid-budget films, production cost, marketing spend and early audience reception (measured in grades like CinemaScore) are key predictors of theatrical durability.
Reactions & Quotes
“This is a flat start.”
David A. Gross, Franchise Entertainment Research
Gross was commenting on the overall January theatrical landscape, suggesting the weekend’s openings were modest relative to expectations and that upcoming releases will determine whether the month lifts above recent years.
“Gerard Butler is a well-liked action star around the world.”
David A. Gross, Franchise Entertainment Research
Gross added this to indicate why Greenland 2 could recoup value internationally and through post-theatrical windows, even if its domestic start is subdued.
Unconfirmed
- Final weekend grosses and weekday adjustments: the weekend estimates above are preliminary; official final tallies will be released on Monday.
- Full international breakdowns for some titles remain incomplete and could materially alter global totals once all territories report.
- Ancillary revenue (early PVOD, streaming deals and rentals) for recent releases has not been fully disclosed and may significantly affect each film’s profitability analysis.
Bottom Line
The weekend reinforced the stabilizing effect of major franchises—Avatar: Fire and Ash again proved its box office muscle—while offering a mixed picture for new releases. Mid-range debuts like Primate will need steady word-of-mouth to expand beyond modest openings, whereas higher-budget sequels such as Greenland 2 depend on international markets and post-theatrical revenue to justify costs.
For exhibitors and studios alike, January’s performance will be interpreted in light of the next slate of releases; strong showings from upcoming genre and tentpole films could push the early-year box office closer to pre-pandemic norms. Until then, franchises and titles with broad international appeal will remain the primary engines keeping theater attendance buoyant.