Christmas delivered strong results at the box office as audiences returned to cinemas. James Cameron’s «Avatar: Fire and Ash» took the top spot on Christmas Day with $24 mln, positioning the film for a solid run through the end of the year as it aims to match the billion dollar success of earlier entries in the franchise.
The film opened to $88 mln last week and is forecast to earn between $75 mln and $80 mln over the four-day Christmas holiday period. While behind the pace of 2022’s «Avatar: The Way of Water,» which earned $29 mln on Christmas Day, the sci-fi sequel is expected to hold strongly despite its $350 mln production cost and $150 mln marketing spend. It has so far grossed $153 mln in North America and $544 mln worldwide.
A24’s «Marty Supreme,» directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothee Chalamet, claimed second place with $9.5 mln on Christmas Day. The film is projected to open above $20 mln over the holiday frame after setting a company record last week with a $875,000 haul from six theatres in limited release. Its momentum could deliver the biggest opening in A24’s history, surpassing «Warfare,» though it faces pressure to recoup a $70 mln budget.
Sony’s disaster comedy «Anaconda,» featuring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, followed closely with $9.1 mln on Christmas Day and is expected to earn $22 mln to $24 mln over the weekend.
Disney’s «Zootopia 2» finished fourth with $5.2 mln, while Focus Features’ musical «Song Sung Blue,» starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, debuted with $4.4 mln and is tracking toward a $12 mln opening. Lionsgate’s thriller «The Housemaid,» led by Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, added $3.5 mln to round out the top performers.
