As James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash continues its reign at the holiday box office, new movies are making their debut, creating a lively holiday film scene. Among the releases is A24’s much-anticipated historical drama Marty Supreme, which features Timothée Chalamet as a table tennis champion from the 1950s. Also premiering is Sony’s comedy Anaconda, headlined by Jack Black and Paul Rudd.
In its second weekend, Avatar 3 is positioned to lead the holiday box office, projected to garner between $80 million to $85 million across 3,800 theaters in North America. The film earned $22 million on Friday, surpassing $600 million globally, with domestic earnings reaching $176.3 million. Its impressive Christmas Day total of $24 million ranks among the best of all time, bringing its domestic gross to $153.6 million and international earnings to $390.6 million. Disney has been tight-lipped about the exact numbers but estimates indicate a global total potentially exceeding $700 million by the end of the weekend.
The competition for second place has turned into an exciting race between Marty Supreme and Anaconda. Chalamet’s film is projected to secure the runner-up position with an estimated $27 million opening over the holiday weekend from 2,688 theaters, following a strong $9.5 million debut on Christmas Day. This success highlights A24’s marketing prowess as well as Chalamet’s enthusiasm in promoting the film, which includes creative promotional strategies such as a vibrant blimp with the movie’s title soaring over Los Angeles.
Marty Supreme has also made headlines for its remarkable per-location average of $145,913 at select locations in New York City and Los Angeles, marking a record for A24. As the indie studio’s most expensive project, with a budget estimated between $60 million and $70 million, the film is capturing the attention of critics and audiences alike. Reviewers have praised it as a groundbreaking sports comedy, blending exuberant character exploration with a vibrant depiction of 1950s New York City.
In contrast, Anaconda, which is being marketed as a comedy but has received a mix of reviews, is anticipated to earn around $22 million in its opening weekend. Critics’ responses have been tepid, with the film currently holding a 51 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score remains relatively favorable with a 78 percent rating. The film’s meta-narrative starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd satirizes the previous Anaconda installments and examines the challenges faced by filmmakers in the monster movie genre.
Moreover, the animated feature Zootopia 2, now in its fifth week, could disrupt the rankings by potentially outperforming both Marty Supreme and Anaconda. Early box office traffic suggests it may bring in approximately $24 million over the holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, Angel Studios’ faith-based film David is expected to secure a strong fifth position following record-breaking earnings on Christmas Day. Other noteworthy releases include Lionsgate’s thriller The Housemaid, featuring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, and Focus Features’ Song Sung Blue, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, all contributing to a robust holiday cinema lineup.
The unique scheduling with Christmas falling on a Thursday has proven beneficial for theater owners, leading to an extended holiday weekend that typically results in higher ticket sales. As audiences flock to cinemas for entertainment during this festive season, optimism prevails for box office performance in the coming days.