As the final weekend of 2025 drew to a close, moviegoers across the United States braved rainstorms in Los Angeles and snow in New York City to pack theaters, capping off a record-setting holiday frame for cinemas. At the very top of the box office charts, 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash, directed by James Cameron, continued its reign with a second weekend gross of approximately $60 million from Friday to Sunday, according to Deadline. That marks a 33% dip from its opening, a notably better hold than 2022’s Avatar: Way of Water, which had dropped 52% in its second frame. By Sunday, the threequel’s domestic cumulative gross had soared to $213.7 million, and worldwide, it had already crossed the half-billion mark, amassing $544.3 million by December 26, as reported by Forbes and Variety.
The film’s box office momentum was undeterred by the weather or the crowded slate of holiday releases. On Christmas Day alone, Avatar: Fire and Ash raked in $24 million, securing the No. 1 spot at the box office. The four-day Christmas frame stood at $84 million, with a second Friday gross of $22.6 million at 3,800 theaters. The movie, which runs a hefty three hours and seventeen minutes, has proven to be a draw for a wide demographic: general audiences made up 88% of attendees in its second weekend, with parents representing 7% and kids under 12 at 4%. Moms taking kids accounted for 52% of the parent turnout. Audience feedback was robust—parents gave the film a 90% definite recommend, kids 62%, and general audiences 70%. Women over 25 gave the highest definite recommend at 76%, while men under 25 were the least enthusiastic at 52%.
Despite its massive $350 million production budget and an additional $150 million spent on promotion, Avatar: Fire and Ash is well on its way to recouping costs and then some. Industry watchers now expect its domestic total to close in on $500 million, a figure that, while perhaps shy of the original’s historic run, still represents a resounding success for both Disney and the broader theatrical industry. Forbes notes that the film’s strong performance is particularly significant given the crowded marketplace, with several other wide-release films attracting large audiences—a far cry from the “Avatar-or-bust” holiday seasons of 2009 and 2022.
Second place over the weekend belonged to Disney’s Zootopia 2, which, a month after its release, showed no signs of slowing down. The animated sequel grossed between $19 million and $20 million in its fifth weekend from 3,370 theaters, bringing its domestic cumulative total to $321.3 million by Sunday. Globally, Zootopia 2 is flirting with a $1.5 billion finish, further cementing Disney’s dominance at the global box office. In fact, Disney is the only major studio to surpass $6 billion in worldwide ticket sales this year, according to Deadline.
Meanwhile, A24’s Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, made an impressive transition from limited to wide release. The film grossed $16 million to $17 million over the three-day weekend at 2,668 theaters, with a Friday take of $6.7 million. Its projected four-day gross could reach $30 million, potentially setting a new opening record for A24, surpassing the previous high set by Alex Garland’s Warfare earlier in the year. Marty Supreme also set a record for the best per-screen average of the year and all-time for A24 the previous week, making $875,000 from just six theaters. The buzz surrounding the film was fueled by Chalamet’s promotional antics—he appeared atop the Las Vegas Sphere and even orchestrated a blimp flyover in Beverly Hills. Social media played a huge role in the film’s success, with its universe reaching 197 million users prior to opening. According to Deadline, 28% of moviegoers cited social media as the most influential form of advertising for the film, with friends and family following at 19%.
Audience demographics for Marty Supreme skewed toward men over 25 (36%), women over 25 (27%), and a whopping 66% turnout among 18-34 year olds. The PostTrak definite recommend score was a solid 60% with 4.5 stars. Women under 25, though a smaller portion of the audience, gave the film the highest marks—94% positive and a 73% definite recommend. Diversity was notable, with 51% Caucasian, 23% Hispanic and Latino, 10% Black, and 11% Asian American attendees. The film’s $70 million budget means it will need to maintain strong word-of-mouth and critical acclaim to ensure profitability.
Elsewhere at the box office, Sony’s comedic reboot Anaconda, starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, debuted with a $5 million Friday and a three-day total of $14.4 million, with projections for a $23.5 million four-day gross. The film was produced on a $45 million budget and attracted a primarily general audience (88%), with parents and kids under 12 making up 10% and 3%, respectively. Deadline reports that 53% of the audience were men, 47% women, and a massive 74% bought their tickets the same day, indicating strong walk-up business. Social media buzz was driven by the film’s self-aware comedic tone, with fans comparing it to Tropic Thunder and Jumanji.
Focus Features’ Song Sung Blue, a musical starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, made $2.66 million on Friday, $7.6 million over three days, and $12 million over four days at 2,587 theaters. The film, which cost $30 million to produce, skewed heavily female (61% of attendees) and older, with 94% over 25 and nearly half over 55. Audience feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with a 98% certified fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 67% definite recommend rate.
Other notable performances included Lionsgate’s thriller The Housemaid ($14.75 million three-day, $18.2 million four-day) and Searchlight’s limited release The Testament of Ann Lee ($62,000 three-day from four theaters). The overall box office for the final weekend of 2025 was estimated at $180 million—a 5% increase from the same frame last year, according to Deadline. The Christmas week total was $342.3 million, up 10% from 2024’s previous high, though still trailing the pre-pandemic heights of 2019.
All told, the robust holiday box office paints a picture of a theatrical industry not just surviving, but thriving—with a diversity of films, genres, and audiences propelling revenue and excitement. Whether it’s James Cameron’s return to Pandora, the quirky world of Marty Supreme, or the heartfelt nostalgia of Song Sung Blue, moviegoers showed up in force, making this holiday season one for the record books.
