James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” powered a strong pre-holiday box office, debuting at No. 1 with an estimated $88 million domestic opening weekend, according to Comscore studio estimates for Dec. 19 to 21.
The Disney and 20th Century Studios (DIS) release launched in 3,800 theaters, delivering a per-theater average of more than $23,000. The film also posted a sizable international turnout, bringing its estimated global debut to $345 million. The third installment in the Avatar franchise arrives three years after The Way of Water and again positions the series as a major theatrical draw heading into the Christmas corridor.
Several new releases filled out the top of the chart. Angel Studios’ animated musical “David” opened in second place with $22.0 million from 3,118 locations, marking the studio’s strongest three-day debut to date. Lionsgate’s (LION) thriller “The Housemaid,” starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, followed closely in third with a $19.0 million opening from 3,015 theaters.
Paramount (PSKY) rounded out the top four with “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” which debuted to $16.0 million across 3,557 theaters, while Disney’s (DIS) “Zootopia 2” continued to post solid numbers in its fourth weekend, adding $14.5 million and pushing its domestic total past $282 million.
Holdovers also remained a meaningful part of the weekend’s business. Universal’s (CMCSA) “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” earned $7.25 million in its third weekend, while Focus Features’ “Wicked: For Good” and MovieGoes’ “Dhurandhar” contributed modest mid-chart grosses.
On the specialty side, A24’s “Marty Supreme” delivered the weekend’s standout limited performance, grossing $875,000 from just six screens for a per-screen average exceeding $145,000. Searchlight’s “Is This Thing On?” also opened in limited release, earning $145,000 from six theaters.
Altogether, the Top 10 films generated an estimated $175.3 million domestically for the weekend, setting a strong tone for the final stretch of the year.
Top 10 Domestic Box Office (Dec. 19–21)
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Avatar: Fire and Ash (Disney/20th Century) – $88.0M
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David (Angel Studios) – $22.0M
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The Housemaid (Lionsgate) – $19.0M
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The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (Paramount) – $16.0M
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Zootopia 2 (Disney) – $14.5M
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Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (Universal) – $7.25M
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Wicked: For Good (Universal) – $4.3M
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Dhurandhar (MovieGoes) – $2.47M
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Marty Supreme (A24, limited) – $875K
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Hamlet (Focus Features) – $850K