“Avatar: Fire and Ash” has maintained its position at the top of the box office for the fourth consecutive week, earning $21.3 million in North America over the weekend. This continues a strong performance for the film, which is the latest installment in James Cameron’s celebrated franchise. As the film industry enters the quieter January period, these numbers signal a robust start to the year for Hollywood.
After four weeks in theatres, “Fire and Ash” has grossed a remarkable $342.6 million in North America and $888 million internationally. Last week, the film crossed the billion-dollar mark, joining its two predecessors as a billion-dollar success.
New Releases and Continued Successes
In second place, the new release “Primate,” a horror film featuring rampaging chimpanzees from Paramount Pictures, debuted with $11.3 million domestically and $13.4 million globally. The film has garnered attention for its unique premise, appealing to horror enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, “Zootopia 2” continues to impress audiences since its release in November. The animated sequel has amassed $1.65 billion globally, edging closer to becoming Disney’s highest-grossing animated film. It currently trails the $1.66 billion achieved by the photorealistic “The Lion King” in 2019. In its seventh week, “Zootopia 2” secured fourth place at the North American box office, earning $10.1 million for a domestic total of $378.8 million.
Another noteworthy contender, “The Housemaid,” featuring Sydney Sweeney, continues to perform well for Lionsgate. In its fourth weekend, it brought in $11.2 million in North America, totaling $94.15 million domestically and $192.5 million worldwide, after a production budget of just $35 million.
Hollywood’s Strong Start and Awards Season
This weekend’s box office figures coincide with heightened attention on the Golden Globe Awards, where “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Zootopia 2” are both nominated for two awards each. Among the contenders, only “Marty Supreme” from A24 made the weekend’s box office top ten, finishing sixth with a $7.6 million take and a four-week total of $70.1 million in North America. “Marty Supreme” is nominated for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), with Timothée Chalamet nominated for Best Actor and Josh Safdie for Best Screenplay.
Overall, Hollywood has kicked off 2026 on a positive note, with revenues for the weekend up 23% compared to the same weekend in 2025, according to data from Comscore. This increase provides hope for a more successful year, especially following a challenging 2025, in which domestic box office revenues continued to decline.
Looking ahead, studios are optimistic about the potential of 2026 to emerge as the best box office year of the decade. Anticipation builds for upcoming releases, including new installments from franchises such as “Avengers,” “Spider-Man,” “Toy Story,” “Super Mario Bros,” and “Dune.”
As the film industry progresses through the early months of 2026, the performance of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and other major titles will be closely monitored, reflecting audience preferences and the evolving landscape of cinema.
