'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads the box office for the third week, surpassing $1 billion globally, with strong international performance, while 'Zootopia 2' and other films continue to perform well, signaling a promising start to Hollywood's 2026 after a challenging 2025.
Hollywood's 2026 box office started strong with 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leading for the third week and surpassing $1 billion globally, supported by other hits like 'Zootopia 2' and 'The Housemaid,' signaling a potentially lucrative year despite a challenging 2025.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' remains the top box office hit in its third week, crossing $1 billion globally, with strong international performance. Disney's 'Zootopia 2' continues to perform well, becoming the second highest-grossing animated film ever. The holiday season saw multiple hits, indicating Hollywood's strong start to 2026 after a sluggish 2025, with industry optimism fueled by upcoming major franchise releases.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads the post-New Year box office with $14 million on Friday, maintaining strong performance, while 'Zootopia 2' earns $7.1 million, securing second place and continuing its impressive run, with other holdovers like 'The Housemaid' and 'Marty Supreme' also performing well.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' is on track to reach $302 million in the U.S., leading a strong start to 2026's box office, which is 22% higher than 2025's opening weekend. The weekend's overall gross was $127.4 million, the best first weekend of a new year post-Covid, with 'Zootopia 2' and 'The Housemaid' also performing well. The box office outlook remains positive with solid holds and promising projections for upcoming releases.
Zootopia 2 has become the highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios film of all time, surpassing Frozen 2 with over $1.46 billion globally, making it the top Disney animated title in terms of box office revenue.
'Avatar: Fire And Ash' has reached over $760 million globally, contributing to the franchise's total exceeding $6 billion. 'Zootopia 2' has surpassed $1 billion internationally, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood animated film worldwide in 2025. Other notable releases include 'Wicked 2,' 'Anaconda,' and 'SpongeBob,' which have also achieved significant box office success internationally.
'Avatar 3' led the Christmas box office with $88 million, maintaining a strong hold, while 'Marty Supreme' debuted as A24's second-biggest opening with $27 million, and 'Zootopia 2' continued its success, contributing to a robust holiday box office season.
'Avatar 3' has grossed over $450 million globally ahead of Christmas, with steady mid-week sales indicating strong performance during the holiday season. It aims to dominate the box office during the four-day holiday period, while Disney's 'Zootopia 2' continues to perform well, surpassing $1 billion internationally and contributing to Disney's record-breaking $6 billion global ticket sales since COVID-19.
Disney has surpassed $6 billion at the global box office for the first time since the COVID pandemic, driven by hits like 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Zootopia 2', marking its fifth time crossing this milestone and its biggest year since 2019 despite some underperforming titles. The studio's success is bolstered by major releases and a strong lineup planned for 2026.
'Avatar 3' opened at No. 1 in China with a $57.6 million debut, contributing to a rising China box office that reached 51 billion yuan in 2025, driven by both local hits like Ne Zha 2 and successful Hollywood imports like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, reflecting China's growing appetite for high-quality family and franchise films.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' debuted with $345 million globally, a strong start but below previous installments, while 'Zootopia 2' reached $1.27 billion worldwide, making it the top Hollywood release of the year. International markets, especially China, are crucial for the success of the 'Avatar' franchise, which continues to perform well in premium formats like IMAX. Both films demonstrate Disney's strong presence in the global box office.
The release of 'Zootopia 2' has sparked a trend in China where young people are buying venomous blue snakes, inspired by the character Gary De'Snake, leading to increased searches and prices for Indonesian pit vipers, despite concerns over safety and legality. The film's positive portrayal of reptiles is helping improve their image, but authorities warn about the dangers of keeping venomous snakes as pets.
‘Zootopia 2’ reclaimed the top spot at the US box office with $26.3 million in its third weekend, and has grossed $1.14 billion worldwide, largely driven by its success in China, making it the second film in 2025 to reach $1 billion globally.
'Five Nights at Freddy's 2,' a horror sequel, is projected to earn $35-40 million in its opening weekend, significantly lower than the original's $80 million debut, and will face stiff competition from Disney's 'Zootopia 2,' which is expected to dominate the box office again. The sequel aims to boost Blumhouse's recent box office struggles, with reviews under embargo but likely to be less influential than fan reception.