Avatar: Fire and Ash continued its box office reign, topping North American charts for a fourth consecutive weekend as the film industry eased into its traditional January slowdown.
The third installment of James Cameron’s Avatar saga earned an estimated $21.3 million in North American theaters over the weekend, according to studio figures released Sunday. Distributed by The Walt Disney Co., the film has now amassed $342.6 million domestically and $888 million internationally, pushing its global total well beyond the $1 billion mark—joining its two predecessors in the billion-dollar club.
The weekend’s strongest debut came from Paramount Pictures’ horror release Primate, a rampaging-chimp thriller that opened with $11.3 million in North America.
Meanwhile, Disney’s Zootopia 2 continues to demonstrate extraordinary longevity. Since its November release, the animated sequel has become a global phenomenon—particularly in China—racking up $1.65 billion worldwide. That figure places it just shy of Disney’s highest-grossing animated title, behind only 2019’s The Lion King, which earned $1.66 billion. In its seventh week, Zootopia 2 finished fourth domestically with $10.1 million, bringing its North American total to $378.8 million.
Lionsgate’s Sydney Sweeney-led thriller The Housemaid also maintained momentum. The film collected $11.2 million in its fourth weekend, lifting its domestic total to $94.15 million—a strong performance for a movie produced on a $35 million budget. The studio has already approved a sequel.
The box office update coincided with the Golden Globe Awards, where much of Hollywood’s attention was focused. Both Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2 received two nominations each.
Among major Golden Globe contenders, only A24’s Marty Supreme featured in the weekend’s top 10. The film finished sixth with $7.6 million, reaching $70.1 million domestically after four weeks. The movie is nominated for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), with Timothée Chalamet earning a nod for Best Actor, while Josh Safdie received a screenplay nomination.
Despite the seasonal slowdown, strong holds by blockbuster franchises and mid-budget successes suggest Hollywood is entering the new year with cautious optimism.
