The new year may not have delivered any fresh wide releases yet, but the box office is far from quiet. As 2026 kicks off, two major 2025 titles — James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash and Paul Feig’s The Housemaid — have surged past key global milestones, proving that last year’s biggest films still have plenty of fuel left in the tank.
The headline of the weekend belongs to Cameron’s latest sci‑fi epic. Avatar: Fire and Ash has officially crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, becoming only the 59th film in history to do so. With a current global total of $1.083 billion, the third entry in the franchise continues to dominate the domestic chart, adding another $40 million in the U.S. and Canada alone.
While it trails behind 2025 juggernauts like Zootopia 2 ($1.588B) and Ne Zha 2 ($2.001B), the film is still performing at an elite level — especially overseas, where the Avatar franchise traditionally earns the bulk of its revenue. In fact, less than 30% of its total so far comes from North America.
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Domestically, Fire and Ash has reached $306 million, slightly behind the pace of both the 2009 original and The Way of Water. Still, with strong international momentum, the film remains a major global force.
With no new wide releases this weekend, the box office spotlight naturally shifted to holdovers — and they delivered. Avatar: Fire and Ash now ranks fifth among 2025 domestic releases, sitting just behind James Gunn’s Superman ($354.2M). Meanwhile, A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stitch continue to battle for the top spot, separated by just $100,000.
What’s Next?
The 2026 release calendar promises massive titles — from Project Hail Mary to Dune: Part Three — but for now, last year’s blockbusters are still writing their own stories. And if Avatar’s history is any indication, Fire and Ash may have plenty of box office life left as the new year unfolds.
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