Avatar: Fire and Ash's Global Debut

'Avatar: Fire and Ash,' the third film in James Cameron's 'Avatar' franchise, launched with $345 million in worldwide sales, making it the second-best global debut of 2025. While its domestic opening of $88 million was lower than its predecessor, 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' the film's strong international performance, especially in China with $57.6 million, and positive audience reception ('A' CinemaScore) suggest it may follow the franchise's trend of long-term box-office success. The film, with a production budget of at least $400 million, is crucial for the greenlighting of future 'Avatar' installments. Other new releases, including Angel Studios' 'David' ($22 million), Lions Gate's 'The Housemaid' ($19 million), and Paramount Global — Paramount Pictures' 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants' ($16 million), also contributed to a competitive weekend, with A24's 'Marty Supreme' setting a per-theater average record in limited release.