could be the key to pushing the franchise into untold box office territory if it continues a major trend for the series. The 2025 movie, which is set to debut in theaters on December 19, is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise, which kicked off in 2009 with Avatar. The movie was written and directed by James Cameron and rose to become the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide, a position that it still holds. Cameron also helmed the second installment, 2022's The Way of Water, which he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.
Cameron is back in the director's chair for the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, which was also co-written by himself, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver. , namely the Fire Clan (led by Oona Chaplin's Varang) and the Wind Traders Clan (led by David Thewlis' Peylak). The massive returning cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Dileep Rao, and Jack Champion.
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The streak that Fire and Ash could potentially continue is the fact that . On top of Avatar's record-breaking sum, The Way of Water grossed $2.32 billion worldwide, making it the No. 3 highest-grossing movie of all time. The only other franchise to have two installments that crossed the $2 billion milestone is the Avengers movies, which are the Marvel Cinematic Universe's star-studded crossover subfranchise. 2018's Infinity War stands at No. 6 with $2.052 billion while its 2019 follow-up Endgame is No. 2 with $2.799 billion.
While no other MCU movies have grossed more than $2 billion, nine other titles in the 36-film franchise have grossed more than $1 billion.
The fact that both franchises have two $2 billion movies apiece is remarkable because at the worldwide box office. The other titles to have done so are the 1997 smash hit Titanic (No. 4, with $2.265 billion), which also won 11 Oscars including Best Picture, and the 2015 sci-fi legacy sequel Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (No. 5 with $2.071 billion), which is still the highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office after earning $936.7 million in North America.
If it follows in the footsteps of the previous installments, the upcoming Avatar movie could also gross more than $2 billion worldwide by the end of its run. If it does so, .
Typically, franchises grow into billion-dollar behemoths rather than starting that way.
This record would also be remarkable in another way, because. Typically, franchises grow into billion-dollar behemoths rather than starting that way. The only franchise to have ever had its three debut movies each surpass even $1 billion is The Avengers, which was technically preceded by five other Marvel tentpoles.
In addition to making history for the Avatar franchise, Fire and Ash could also break a record for James Cameron movies in general. because he also wrote and directed Titanic, meaning that he has helmed exactly half of the movies to have crossed the $2 billion milestone at the box office. While brothers Joe and Anthony Russo helmed both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, giving them two slots on the top of the chart, they are the only other directors to have multiple titles gross more than $2 billion.
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If Fire and Ash continues this trend for the franchise, it will give Cameron four $2 billion movies, widening the gap between him and any other directors on the chart. While this could be challenged by the fact that the Russo Brothers are set to helm the upcoming Avengers movies Doomsday and Secret Wars,, as the latter title is not currently set to premiere until December 2027.
There are multiple reasons why Avatar: Fire and Ash might break the franchise's $2 billion streak. The most important is the fact that it comes just three years after the previous installment, so. This is a similar issue that was faced by Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, which came just two years after The Force Awakens, which itself came out 10 years after Revenge of the Sith. While The Force Awakens made $2.07 billion, The Last Jedi fell precipitously to $1.334 billion.
The original Avatar's gross was also boosted by the surcharge on tickets to 3D screenings, but the format has been dwindling in popularity in recent years. This may be one reason why The Way of Water came in more than $600 million below its predecessor by the end of its run. That huge dip is another warning sign, because if Fire and Ash has a similar drop, .
$1.72 billion would still make Avatar: Fire and Ash the ninth highest-grossing movie of all time.
However, the James Cameron movies have beaten the odds in the past, leading to it earning two $2 billion titles in the first place. Avatar: Fire and Ash could very well gross more than $2 billion if it plays its cards right and especially if it gets better reviews than its predecessor, which only had a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, at the time of writing.
While there is an untitled Warner Bros. movie set for December that could prove to be a major competitor, the only major IP movies opening from December 12 through the end of the year are The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants and the Anaconda remake, of the two predecessors to Avatar: Fire and Ash.
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