After more than 50 days in theaters worldwide, James Cameron's latest installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, has concluded its run, dropping out of the domestic top five charts this past weekend. While the epic threequel has not replicated the phenomenal success of its record-breaking predecessors, it still stands as one of the highest-grossing films ever made globally. The film is expected to reach its final domestic box office milestone of $400 million in the coming days, yet it appears poised to fall short of the $1.5 billion mark worldwide, significantly trailing the original Avatar by approximately $1.5 billion and Avatar: The Way of Water by about $1 billion.

Despite concerns regarding its overall performance, Avatar: Fire and Ash did mark a recent achievement in its eighth weekend of release, grossing around $3.5 million and securing the seventh spot on the domestic chart. Interestingly, it was outperformed by fellow Disney release Zootopia 2, which, despite a longer theatrical run, continues to draw audiences. Zootopia 2 has achieved over $400 million domestically and more than $1.7 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood film of 2025 and second overall globally, only behind China's Ne Zha 2.

The critical reception for Avatar: Fire and Ash also differed significantly from its franchise peers. While Zootopia 2 garnered a Best Animated Feature nomination at the Oscars, Avatar: Fire and Ash received lukewarm reviews and was largely overlooked during awards season. It became the first entry in the blockbuster Avatar franchise to not receive a Best Picture nomination and is projected to be the first to not reach the $2 billion milestone worldwide, a stark contrast to the original and its immediate sequel.

On a positive note, Avatar: Fire and Ash, with a running domestic haul exceeding $390 million, successfully surpassed another prominent space opera: James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The latter earned approximately $389 million during its domestic run and about $870 million worldwide, garnering excellent reviews and a