Why 'Fire and Ash' Just Hit $1B — You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!

NEW YORK — Hollywood has made a promising start to 2026, with "Avatar: Fire and Ash" maintaining its reign at the top of the box office for three consecutive weeks. This third installment in James Cameron's renowned Pandora saga has already exceeded the remarkable milestone of $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, generating $40 million in its third weekend alone across North American theaters, according to estimates released on Sunday.

"Fire and Ash," which has grossed an impressive $777.1 million overseas, marks yet another monumental achievement for Cameron's groundbreaking franchise, as noted by the Walt Disney Co. on Sunday. This resurgence comes after a disappointing 2025 for the film industry, which saw domestic box office revenues continue to slide.

While "Avatar" certainly led the charge, ticket sales were bolstered by several other films, including "Zootopia 2," which has demonstrated remarkable staying power. The animated sequel, which has grossed $1.59 billion in just six weeks, secured the second spot at the box office with $19 million in ticket sales, dipping only 4% from the previous weekend. This impressive performance positions "Zootopia 2" as Disney's second highest-grossing animated movie ever, trailing only the 2019 photorealistic hit "The Lion King," which amassed $1.66 billion.

In addition, "The Housemaid," a twisty thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has also found success this holiday season, collecting $14.9 million over the weekend and bringing its domestic total to $75.7 million after three weeks. With a modest production budget of $35 million, "The Housemaid" has garnered $57.3 million internationally, showcasing Sweeney's star power as a driving force behind its success.

Timothée Chalamet is another big name contributing to box office gains. His film, "Marty Supreme," has performed admirably as well, grossing an estimated $12.6 million in its third weekend, which brings its total to $56 million in North America—already surpassing the director's previous film, "Uncut Gems," which earned $50 million worldwide.

Even lesser-known titles have shown resilience. Sony's action comedy "Anaconda," featuring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, collected $10 million in its second weekend, while Focus Features' "Song Sung Blue," a Neil Diamond cover band movie starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, dropped only 17% from its previous weekend and has accumulated $25 million domestically.

The overall performance of Hollywood during this holiday period is noteworthy, as ticket sales across the board rose 26.5% compared to the same weekend in 2025, according to data firm Comscore. This comes on the heels of a lackluster 2025, where domestic moviegoing only edged up by 2% to $8.9 billion—about 20% below pre-pandemic levels. The slight improvement was largely attributed to higher ticket prices, as the total number of tickets sold plummeted from over 800 million in 2024 to around 780 million in 2025.

As the industry looks toward 2026, there is cautious optimism for a turnaround. Upcoming slate of big releases—including new entries in the "Toy Story," "Avengers," "Spider-Man," "Super Mario Bros," and "Dune" franchises—has raised expectations that this year could be the best box office year of the decade. This optimism is further complicated by the pending $83 billion sale of Warner Bros. to Netflix, which awaits regulatory approval and could signal a seismic shift in the industry.

With a mix of franchise favorites and fresh talent, Hollywood appears to be on the cusp of a promising resurgence, as audiences return to theaters in greater numbers. The success of these films, along with the nostalgia factor and star-driven narratives, suggests that 2026 may indeed be a pivotal year for cinema.

Here’s a snapshot of the top 10 movies by domestic box office for the weekend, based on estimates compiled by Comscore:

• 1. "Avatar: Fire and Ash," $40 million.
• 2. "Zootopia 2," $19 million.
• 3. "The Housemaid," $14.9 million.
• 4. "Marty Supreme," $12.6 million.
• 5. "Anaconda," $10 million.
• 6. "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants," $8.2 million.
• 7. "David," $8 million.
• 8. "Song Sung Blue," $5.9 million.
• 9. "Wicked: For Good," $3.3 million.
• 10. "Five Nights at Freddy's 2," $2.7 million.