Hollywood has concluded a tumultuous 2025 with significant box office performances from “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Marty Supreme,” capturing audiences over the busy holiday weekend.
James Cameron’s latest installment in the “Avatar” franchise returned to theaters with impressive ticket sales, garnering approximately $88 million from the four-day Christmas weekend and $64 million from just the weekend alone, according to studio estimates. While its domestic opening fell short compared to its 2022 predecessor “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Fire and Ash” managed to outperform it in its second weekend, showcasing a smaller decline of 28%, while “Way of Water” experienced a decline of 53% during its second outing. The film has quickly accumulated $217.7 million in North America and an impressive $542.7 million internationally, despite its hefty $400 million production budget. To achieve the box office success of previous installments, “Fire and Ash” will need to maintain momentum through the New Year and into early January, potentially becoming the first franchise to feature three films that grossed $2 billion.
In a notable feat, Timothée Chalamet’s “Marty Supreme,” A24’s largest budget venture, also made waves during the holiday season. This 1950s-set table tennis drama earned $27.1 million over the four-day weekend, marking a significant triumph for the indie studio and proving that Chalamet’s popularity continues to rise. His promotional efforts included an appearance on top of the Sphere in Las Vegas, ultimately highlighting his appeal as a leading star in Hollywood. Interestingly, “Marty Supreme” edged out Sony Pictures’ “Anaconda,” which raked in $23.7 million over the same period, despite facing criticism from reviewers that may have impacted its performance.
The year has ended on a positive note for Hollywood, with the best Christmas Day box office seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Industry analysts are projecting optimism for the upcoming year, citing a promising film lineup for 2026 and the hope for recovery in domestic ticket sales which currently mirror 2024’s disappointing tally of $8.75 billion.
A trend observed this year has been the exceptional performance of PG-rated films, surpassing their PG-13 counterparts for the second consecutive year, collectively generating $2.87 billion compared to $2.78 billion. The three highest-grossing films of 2025 were all PG-rated: “Zootopia 2,” which earned $1.42 billion worldwide; “Lilo & Stitch,” with $1.04 billion; and “A Minecraft Movie,” totaling $958.2 million.
In light of this strong performance, Disney has become the first studio since 2019 to surpass $6 billion globally in 2025, primarily propelled by “Zootopia 2,” “Lilo & Stitch,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
Looking forward to 2026, audiences can anticipate several major releases, including “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the live-action “Moana,” “Toy Story 5,” and “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” The holiday break remains a crucial period for theaters as schools are out, offering an opportunity for numerous new releases to attract moviegoers.
With the final domestic ticket sales for the weekend revealing an engaging array of films, it’s clear that Hollywood is poised for a hopeful future as it navigates the complexities of an evolving industry.