“Avatar: Fire and Ash” remained the No. 1 movie globally as fellow holiday holdover “The Housemaid” nears a notable box office milestone.
James Cameron’s third mega-budget sci-fi epic has added $65.6 million internationally and $86 million globally in its fourth weekend of release, bringing its overseas tally to $888 million and global total to $1.23 billion. Although a box office juggernaut, “Fire and Ash” is trailing the first two films, 2009’s “Avatar” and 2022’s “The Way of Water,” at this point in its run. Of course, this film’s predecessors are two of the biggest movies of all time, with $2.9 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively.
Whether “Fire and Ash” reaches the $2 billion benchmark, this Pandora-set adventure proves yet again that Cameron isn’t to be doubted in terms of box office appeal. Disney’s 20th Century’s “Avatar 3” recently surpassed another Disney tentpole, “Lilo & Stitch” ($1.03 billion), to stand as the second-highest-grossing Hollywood release of 2025. Another Disney tentpole, “Zootopia 2,” remains the biggest film that debuted last year with $1.65 billion and counting.
“Zootopia 2” has remained a box office force since Thanksgiving, with $30.8 million overseas and $40.9 million worldwide in its seventh weekend in theatres. So far, the animated sequel has grossed a staggering $1.27 billion internationally and $1.65 billion globally, strengthening its position as Walt Disney Animation’s biggest film in history.
In other box office milestones, Lionsgate’s psychological thriller “The Housemaid” is about to surpass $200 million globally. The film has generated $25.5 million from 66 overseas territories, including a No. 1 bow in the United Kingdom with $23.7 million. So far, the R-rated film, adapted from Freida McFadden’s popular book and starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has become a breakout hit with $98.3 million internationally and $192.5 million worldwide after four weekends of release. Those ticket sales are especially promising considering “The Housemaid,” directed by Paul Feig, cost just $35 million to produce.
Another Christmastime release, Sony’s adventure comedy “Anaconda,” crossed the $100 million mark over the weekend. The movie, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd as friends who attempt to remake the 1997 cult favourite “Anaconda,” brought in $7.7 million from 63 overseas markets and $12.7 million globally in its third weekend. The film has amassed $55.8 million internationally and $110.1 million worldwide to date against a $45 million budget.
Elsewhere at the international box office, Chloe Zhao’s drama “Hamnet” launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland with $4.2 million. The film, which is being released by Focus Features in the U.S. and Universal internationally, will continue to expand across the globe in January. So far, “Hamnet,” starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in a tragedy that follows the death of William Shakespeare’s son, has grossed $17.1 million worldwide.
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From Variety US