Avatar 3 Dominates Box Office Despite Mixed Reviews

The third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster series continues to lead movie theaters during the final weekend of 2025, outperforming competitors like the new Zootopia sequel and Marty Supreme. During its second week in cinemas, the film experienced just a 33% decline in earnings compared to its opening weekend.

This performance significantly outshines The Way of Water from 2022, which saw a steeper 52% drop between its first and second weekends. However, the original 2009 film set an almost impossible standard with merely a 1.8% decrease during the same period. Following Friday's numbers, the four-day total reached $84 million, bringing domestic earnings to $153.7 million and international collections to $390.6 million, for a worldwide total of $544.3 million.

Box Office Comparison Across the Trilogy

The current film's domestic opening of $89.1 million falls short of The Way of Water's impressive $134.1 million debut but surpasses the original Avatar's $77 million start. The first movie's exceptional critical reception propelled it to an unprecedented $2.9 billion globally, while The Way of Water, despite its stronger opening, reached $2.343 billion.

Fire and Ash faces a more challenging path to the $2 billion mark, with review scores trailing behind both previous entries. The original earned an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, followed by The Way of Water at 76%, while the newest release sits at 66% from over 310 reviews.

Critical Reception and Audience Response

Despite mixed professional reviews, audiences have responded more favorably, giving the film a 90% score that suggests Cameron successfully connected with moviegoers. The critical consensus describes the movie as visually cutting-edge but narratively repetitive, though it continues to deliver spectacular thrills.

Several prominent critics expressed disappointment with the latest entry. BBC's Nicholas Barber called it the longest and weakest of the series, comparing its appearance to an outdated video game. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw found most of the film uninteresting, while IndieWire's David Ehrlich felt like watching a master filmmaker moving in circles.

Story and Cast Details

This installment shifts focus from the human versus Na'vi conflict to explore tensions between different Pandoran cultures. Cameron introduces two new clans: the Wind Traders and the Ash People, representing darker elements within Na'vi society. The director explained that the title represents a cycle of violence, with fire symbolizing hatred and anger, while ash represents the resulting grief and loss.

Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington return as the central couple, joined by Oona Chaplin as the Ash People's leader. The supporting cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and Stephen Lang, among others. Produced with a budget exceeding $400 million, the film ranks among cinema's most expensive productions.