‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ leads New Year’s Eve box office

James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash concluded 2025 by leading the New Year’s Eve box office, securing the top spot on one of the last theatrical days of the year and contributing to an estimated $8.9 billion in domestic ticket sales for the year.

The most recent entry in the Avatar series generated around $8.1 million in domestic earnings on New Year’s Eve, marking a significant performance for a night that typically experiences lower movie attendance due to holiday festivities. The film has seen strong viewer turnout throughout the holiday season, especially in premium large-format venues, such as IMAX and 3D showings.

Among Cameron’s works, three films — Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and the previously mentioned Titanic — rank among the top four highest-grossing films ever, with Avatar holding the top position until it was overtaken by Avengers: Endgame (2019), only to reclaim first place in 2021.[2] He was the director of the first film to surpass $1 billion in earnings, the first two films to each exceed $2 billion, and remains the only director with three films grossing over $2 billion each.[3][4][5] The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Titanic have been chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Additionally, Cameron co-founded the production companies Lightstorm Entertainment, Digital Domain, and Earthship Productions. In 2010, Time recognized Cameron as one of the 100 most influential individuals globally.

Beyond his work in film, he serves as a National Geographic explorer-in-residence and has produced numerous documentaries focused on deep-ocean exploration, such as Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) and Aliens of the Deep (2005). Cameron has also played a role in advancing underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies, contributing to the development of the new digital 3D Fusion Camera System. In 2012, he made history as the first individual to achieve a solo descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in Earth’s oceans, using the Deepsea Challenger submersible. Furthermore, he is an advocate for environmental sustainability and operates several businesses focused on sustainability.

Cameron was appointed as the visual effects director for the sequel to Piranha (1978), which was named Piranha II: The Spawning and released in 1982. The original director, Miller Drake, departed from the project due to creative disagreements with producer Ovidio Assonitis. Filming took place in Rome, Italy, and on Grand Cayman Island, providing Cameron with his first opportunity to direct a major film. Cameron later remarked that it did not feel like his debut film because of the power struggles with Assonitis.[19] Upon its release, Piranha II: The Spawning received negative reviews from critics; author Tim Healey described it as “a marvellously bad movie which splices clichés from every conceivable source”.[20]

Since its opening in mid-December, Fire and Ash has amassed over $250 million in domestic box office revenue in less than two weeks. Internationally, the film has continued to gain traction and is anticipated to exceed the $1 billion global milestone early in the new year, further solidifying the franchise’s status as one of the most dependable box-office successes in contemporary cinema.

Despite a strong holiday performance driven by Avatar: Fire and Ash and other significant releases, total domestic ticket sales for 2025 narrowly fell short of industry expectations. Analysts had forecasted that the year could reach or surpass $9 billion, but the final figure came in just below that mark. Nevertheless, this amount indicates a slight increase compared to 2024 and suggests a gradual recovery for theaters in light of evolving audience behaviors.

New Year’s Eve rankings positioned Fire and Ash at the top of the list, closely followed by Disney’s Zootopia 2, which has also shown strong performance. Other films that filled the top spots included a variety of family-oriented titles and specialty releases, showcasing a diverse end-of-year lineup.

The triumph of Avatar: Fire and Ash highlights the ongoing significance of event films in boosting theater attendance. Although the overall box office has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, Cameron’s visually stunning sequel has once again proven that large-scale cinematic experiences continue to captivate audiences around the globe.

As 2026 commences, the film is anticipated to maintain a strong presence at the box office, generating early momentum for the new year and fostering optimism for the theatrical market in the future.

Cameron was appointed as the visual effects director for the sequel to Piranha (1978), named Piranha II: The Spawning, in 1982. The original director, Miller Drake, departed from the project due to creative disagreements with producer Ovidio Assonitis. Filmed in Rome, Italy, and on Grand Cayman Island, this project provided Cameron with his first opportunity to direct a major film. Cameron later remarked that it did not feel like his debut film because of the power struggles with Assonitis.[19] Upon its release, Piranha II: The Spawning received negative reviews from critics; author Tim Healey described it as “a marvellously bad movie which splices clichés from every conceivable source.”