Despite rain in Los Angeles and snowstorms blanketing parts of New York, moviegoers showed up in force over the final weekend of 2025. Leading the charge once again was James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, which continued its strong theatrical run with an impressive second weekend hold.
‘Fire and Ash’ shows rare staying power
In its second frame, Avatar: Fire and Ash is looking at around $60 million over the Friday–Sunday period, a drop of roughly 33% — a solid hold by blockbuster standards. In fact, the dip is far gentler than Avatar: The Way of Water, which slid over 50% in its second weekend back in 2022 amid severe weather conditions.
With Christmas boosting attendance, the film’s four-day haul stands at approximately $84 million, following a $22 million second Friday across 3,800 theatres. By Sunday, the domestic total is expected to reach $213.7 million, firmly establishing the film as the year’s final box office heavyweight.
While the original Avatar still holds the crown for the strongest second weekend hold (a near-flat dip in 2009), Fire and Ash is clearly playing the long game — a familiar Cameron pattern.
Holiday box office rebounds post-Covid
The strong performance comes during what is being described as the best Christmas week since the pandemic, with the industry pulling in an estimated $342.3 million, up 10% from last year. While still below the pre-pandemic peak of 2019, the numbers signal steady recovery — and renewed confidence in theatrical releases.
Disney keeps winning with ‘Zootopia 2’
Disney isn’t just winning with Avatar. Zootopia 2 continues its surprisingly durable run in Weekend 5, earning around $19 million, pushing its domestic total to $320.3 million. The animated sequel is now within striking distance of overtaking the original film’s lifetime US gross.
With this momentum, Disney has also crossed a major milestone — becoming the only studio to surpass $6 billion globally this year.
‘Marty Supreme’ opens strong with marketing muscle
A24’s Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, made a loud entrance over the holiday frame. The film is set to earn around $25.7 million in its first four days, outperforming last year’s A Complete Unknown over a comparable period.
Fuelled by an aggressive marketing push — including viral stunts and Timothée Chalamet’s massive social media presence — the film’s opening puts it ahead of previous Safdie projects and positions it as a strong adult-skewing holiday release.
Mid-table battle heats up
The middle of the chart turned into a tight race:
- The Housemaid held steady with a $12.5–$15 million weekend
- Angel Studios’ David followed closely with around $14 million
- Sony’s Anaconda emerged as a surprise contender, eyeing a $13 million three-day and a $22 million four-day, an encouraging start given its budget
Social media chatter around Anaconda suggests audiences are embracing its self-aware, comedy-forward tone rather than treating it as a straight creature feature — a pivot that appears to be paying off.
Family and feel-good films hold ground
Further down the list:
- The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants added another $10 million, pushing its total near $37 million
- Song Sung Blue, led by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, found a niche audience with its warm, nostalgic appeal, earning $12 million over four days and boasting an extremely strong audience response
The film’s Neil Diamond-driven soundtrack and feel-good tone have resonated with viewers looking for lighter counter-programming during the holidays.
Final words
The final weekend of 2025 offered a clear takeaway: audiences are still willing to turn up for spectacle, nostalgia, and star-driven storytelling — even when the weather says otherwise. With Avatar: Fire and Ash anchoring the box office and studios seeing renewed holiday traction, the theatrical landscape is closing the year on a far more hopeful note than it began.
