Avatar 3 Conquers Christmas with $88M Holiday Haul
James Cameron’s Avatar 3 soared to an $88 million Christmas weekend, topping the box office and pushing its global haul past $600 million in just twelve days.
Pandora’s Stocking Stuffer
LOS ANGELES—James Cameron’s Avatar 3 didn’t just land under the tree this Christmas; it kicked the door in. The sci-fi sequel powered past every rival to claim the holiday box-office crown, ringing up an estimated $88 million across the Friday-to-Monday corridor, according to studio figures released Monday.
A Franchise That Refuses to Cool
Industry trackers had predicted a sturdy but not record-breaking performance, citing crowded multiplexes and winter storms across the Midwest. Instead, turnout surged 14% above projections, lifting domestic totals to $258 million after twelve days in release.
“Audiences aren’t merely returning; they’re bringing grandparents who skipped the first two trips to Pandora,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore. “That four-quadrant pull is the Holy Grail at Christmas.”
How the Weekend Shook Out
- Friday: $19.2 million (including $4.8M in Thursday previews)
- Saturday: $24.7 million (+29% jump typical for holiday weekends)
- Sunday: $21.1 million
- Christmas Day: $23.0 million—second-best December 25th gross ever, behind only 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Global Might
Internationally, the film added another $142 million, pushing the worldwide cume to $612 million. China led overseas markets with $31 million, followed by France ($12 million) and Korea ($11 million). Imax screens accounted for 14% of global revenue despite representing just 3% of total locations.
What’s Next?
With New Year’s on the horizon and most schools closed until January 8, Disney is projecting a domestic trajectory north of $450 million. That would place Avatar 3 among the top five highest-grossing films of 2025—no small feat in a calendar year already crowded with Marvel and DC tentpoles.
Meanwhile, rivals are regrouping. Warner’s musical remake Snow slid 42% to $21 million, while Sony’s animated Reindeer Riot held better, dipping only 19% to $17 million. Yet neither came close to challenging Na’vi supremacy.
Whether Cameron’s saga can maintain altitude into January will depend on word-of-mouth; exit polls show a rare “A+” CinemaScore, a metric historically linked to legs rather than front-loaded grosses. For now, Pandora rules the season, and exhibitors are toasting the gift that keeps on giving.