James Cameron returns to Pandora in style. Indeed, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the third movie in the record-breaking series, performs very well at the global box office. Moreover, the sci-fi epic earned an estimated $12 million from Thursday previews in North America alone. Consequently, it positions itself as the pre-Christmas season’s biggest hit.
Furthermore, overseas markets show excitement. For instance, the 20th Century Studios and Disney tentpole generated $40 million to $60 million from early international releases. Notably, this includes a strong $17 million opening day in China. Therefore, industry estimates project $340 million to $365 million worldwide by the opening weekend’s end. As a result, it emerges as one of the year’s biggest movie events.
Additionally, the threequel targets $85 million to $105 million for its U.S. debut. Although this trails “Avatar: The Way of Water’s” $134 million in 2022, it remains a solid late-year start with holiday potential. In fact, the film grossed about $36.5 million on its first day, including previews. Thus, it topped North American charts and primed a robust weekend.
In addition, like its predecessors, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” launches in premium formats such as IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and 4DX. Accordingly, exhibitors anticipate the franchise’s big-screen allure will drive success. After all, the original 2009 “Avatar” exceeded $2 billion worldwide. Similarly, the 2022 “Avatar: The Way of Water” surpassed $2 billion globally.
