The 2026 domestic box office is off to a confident start — and early numbers suggest Hollywood may be in for a steadier year than expected. In its first 11 days, North American theatres have already pulled in around $324 million, marking a 22% jump over the same period last year. Leading the charge is Avatar: Fire and Ash, which continues to anchor the marketplace despite softer momentum compared to its predecessors.
Avatar: Fire and Ash Remains the January Backbone
Directed by James Cameron, Avatar: Fire and Ash may not be matching the domestic firepower of The Way of Water, but it’s still doing enough to dominate January. The threequel is heading toward a $21–24 million fourth weekend, keeping it at No. 1 for the fourth straight frame.
By Sunday, its domestic total is expected to hit $345.2 million, roughly 33% behind Avatar: The Way of Water at the same point — but still far ahead of anything else currently in release. Premium formats remain crucial to its run, with IMAX, 3D, 4DX, ScreenX, and D-Box contributing heavily to ticket sales.
Overseas markets continue to do the heavy lifting, with the film expected to post a global weekend north of $90 million, reaffirming that Avatar remains a worldwide event even when domestic numbers soften.
Zootopia 2 Shows Remarkable Staying Power
Disney’s holiday juggernaut Zootopia 2 continues to surprise with its endurance. In its seventh weekend, the animated sequel is tracking around $11 million, a respectable 43% drop.
With schools reopening, Saturday business is expected to boost family attendance, giving the film a real shot at No. 2 for the frame. The movie’s domestic total is already nearing $380 million, and unlike some front-loaded animated sequels, Zootopia 2 still has fuel left in the tank heading deeper into January.
New Releases: Primate and Greenland 2 Enter the Race
Paramount and 18Hz’s R-rated horror thriller Primate is off to a solid if unspectacular start. The killer-chimp movie is eyeing around $11 million in its opening weekend from nearly 3,000 theatres.
Audience data shows a male-leaning crowd (58%), with strong turnout from the 18–34 demographic. The film earned a B- CinemaScore, along with a 50% definite recommend rating from PostTrak — decent for a genre title, though not breakout-level. The West Coast is leading the charge, with AMC Burbank emerging as its top-performing location so far.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s Greenland 2: Migration, starring Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin, is landing at the lower end of expectations. The sequel is tracking around $8.5 million, also earning a B- CinemaScore.
The $90 million production — with Lionsgate acquiring U.S. rights for $10 million — is skewing older and male, particularly in western states. Canada is notably absent from this weekend’s release, which slightly limits its overall impact.
The Housemaid Quietly Nears $100 Million
One of the weekend’s quiet success stories remains The Housemaid. The Sydney Sweeney–Amanda Seyfried thriller is holding exceptionally well, pulling around $10.6 million in its fourth weekend, down just 30%.
The film’s domestic total is heading toward $93.5 million, making it Sydney Sweeney’s highest-grossing film as a leading actress, surpassing Anyone But You. At this pace, the psychological thriller is well-positioned to cross the $100 million mark in the coming days.
Other Notable Movers
- Anaconda has crossed $100 million globally, with $50.4M domestic and $51.2M overseas.
- Focus Features’ Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, opened strongly in the UK with $4 million, while its global total now sits near $17 million. The film heads into the Golden Globes with six nominations, including Best Feature Drama.
- Angel Studios’ faith-based drama I Was a Stranger earned an A- CinemaScore, though it remains outside the top 10 with modest numbers.
The Bigger Picture
Despite softer openings for new releases, 2026’s box office momentum looks encouraging. Avatar: Fire and Ash is providing stability, Zootopia 2 continues to overperform long-term, and mid-budget titles like The Housemaid are proving that strong word of mouth still matters.
With Martin Luther King Jr. weekend ahead and more releases lined up, January is shaping up to be less of a dumping ground — and more of a proving ground.
Final Words
This isn’t a record-shattering weekend, but it’s a healthy one. From blue-skinned epics to animated animals, killer chimps, and slow-burning thrillers, audiences are showing up — and that’s the real win for theatres heading into 2026.
