James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash has topped the North American box office on its opening weekend, but its debut numbers came in at the lower end of industry expectations.
According to Walt Disney Co., the third instalment in the Avatar franchise collected $88 million in ticket sales across the US and Canada over the weekend.
While this was enough to secure the top spot at the box office, it fell short of the $100–$120 million range projected by Boxoffice Pro. Disney itself had earlier estimated an opening of up to $90 million.
Internationally, Fire and Ash performed more strongly, earning an additional $257 million from overseas markets, Disney said in a statement on Sunday.
The domestic opening surpassed that of the original Avatar, which debuted with $77 million in 2009, but lagged well behind Avatar: The Way of Water, which opened to $134.1 million in 2022.
Historically, the Avatar films have shown strong legs at the box office, benefiting from their December releases and immersive 3D visuals that attract audiences during the holiday season.
The first two films each crossed the $2 billion mark globally and currently rank among the highest-grossing movies of all time.
However, the franchise also comes with massive production and marketing costs.
With Fire and Ash releasing just two weeks before the end of the quarter, Disney had earlier warned that the film would contribute to an estimated $400 million shortfall in operating income for the current period, with profits expected to flow in next year.
Directed by James Cameron, Fire and Ash sees Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana reprise their roles as Jake Sully and Neytiri.
The story introduces a new enemy, the Ash People — a violent Na’vi tribe inhabiting the mineral-rich world of Pandora, once again bringing humans and natives into conflict.
Disney acquired the Avatar franchise as part of its $71.3 billion purchase of 20th Century Fox in 2019.
The company already runs an Avatar-themed land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida and is planning a similar attraction in California.
Despite the softer-than-expected opening for Fire and Ash, Disney’s film division has enjoyed a strong year overall.
Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2 have both crossed $1 billion in global box office collections, with Zootopia 2 achieving the milestone faster than any animated film in Hollywood history.