James Cameron‘s highly anticipated Avatar: Fire and Ash delivered $12 million in Thursday previews at the North American box office as it begins its global assault to close out the year in fine Na’vi style.
Overseas, where it began opening in select markets midweek, the 20th Century and Disney tentpole has already grossed $60 million, including a stellar opening day of $17 million in China. The film is earning glowing exit scores, despite its running time of more than three and a quarter hours.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is tracking to open domestically in the $95 million to $105 million range, versus the $134 million earned by Avatar: The Way of the Water, which brought in $17 million in previews.
Way of Water had nine full days of play before the Christmas actual holiday, while Fire and Ash has six days, with the theory being that some audiences will wait for the actual holiday to see the movie.
The first Avatar was all but lambasted when opening to $77 million in 2009, but the angst soon ended as the film picked up momentum on its way to becoming the top-grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office with an astounding $2.97 billion, not adjusted for inflation. It still holds that honor, followed by Marvel’s: Avengers: Endgame and two more Cameron titles, Way of Water and Titanic.
Avatar: Fire and Ash isn’t the only movie taking a seat at this year’s holiday feast.
Also opening nationwide over the Dec. 19-21 weekend are Paramount’s family pic The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, which earned $1.4 million in previews, and Lionsgate’s R-rated thriller The Housemaid, starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney. The film, a throwback to the 1990s, will be a key test for Sweeney following her failed Oscar hopeful, Christy, and is hoping for a launch in the $20 million to $25 million range after earning a $2.2 million in previews. The Angel Studios animated feature David is also tracking in the $20 million to $25 range.
Another round of films open Christmas Day, including Sony’s Anaconda reboot (no one is quite sure where it is going to land.) On the prestige side of the aisle, Oscar hopefuls Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, and Hugh Jackman/Kate Hudson starrer Song Sung Blue also open nationwide.
