Disney and 20th Century’s Avatar: Fire and Ash continued its box office reign, finishing first for the fourth consecutive weekend with $21.3 million. James Cameron’s latest chapter has now generated $342.6 million domestically and $1.231 billion worldwide after 24 days in release, remaining the clear market leader despite a 49 percent weekend-to-weekend drop.
The overall marketplace showed healthy depth, with new releases and strong holdovers pushing the total domestic weekend box office to $98.6 million. Paramount’s horror thriller Primate debuted in second place with $11.3 million, while Lionsgate’s Greenland 2: Migration opened to $8.5 million. Continuing performers added stability, including Lionsgate’s The Housemaid, which earned $11.2 million in its fourth weekend, and Disney’s Zootopia 2, which contributed $10.1 million in its seventh frame.
Early 2026 is outpacing last year’s results. The second weekend of 2026 delivered 125 percent of the box office total from the same weekend in 2025, when Den of Thieves: Pantera topped the chart with a $15 million debut and the weekend closed at $78.6 million. With 2025’s first quarter marking the weakest post-pandemic period, the industry is capitalizing on favorable year-over-year comparisons as the calendar resets.
Despite its continued dominance, Avatar: Fire and Ash is tracking below the performance of its predecessors. After 24 days, the film stands at roughly 80 percent of Avatar and 66 percent of The Way of Water at the same point in their runs, with the gap widening week to week. Current projections point to a final domestic total of $385 million and a global total of $1.4 billion. While still highly profitable, the downward trend may factor into long-term franchise planning for future installments.
Paramount’s Primate delivered a solid opening, especially given its modest $12 million production budget. Directed by Johannes Roberts, the film leans heavily on practical effects and performance-driven horror, including a standout physical turn by Miguel Torres Umba as the killer chimp. Positive word-of-mouth and a 78 percent Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score suggest the film could turn profitable within its first two weekends.
In third place, The Housemaid continued its strong run, pushing its domestic total to $94.2 million. The psychological thriller has now become the highest-grossing domestic release of Sydney Sweeney’s career and is on track to cross $100 million domestically next weekend.
Zootopia 2 remains one of the season’s standout performers, climbing to $378.8 million domestically and $1.655 billion worldwide. With a production budget of $150 million, the sequel is operating at an exceptional return ratio and has secured a spot among the top-grossing animated films of all time.
Rounding out the top five, Greenland 2: Migration struggled to match the momentum of its predecessor. Despite an expanded scope and $90 million budget, the sequel’s opening suggests a challenging road ahead, with critical reception landing below the original and profitability now in question.
As 2026 gains traction, the industry will look to sustain this early momentum. Next weekend’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday frame, led by Sony’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will test whether the box office can maintain its upward trajectory against stronger year-ago comps.
| Rank | Title | Wk | Theatres | Weekend Gross | % Change | Avg/Theatre | Total Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avatar: Fire and Ash (Disney) | 4 | 3,700 | $21,300,000 | -49% | $5,757 | $342,590,528 |
| 2 | Primate (Paramount) | 1 | 2,964 | $11,300,000 | — | $3,812 | $11,300,000 |
| 3 | The Housemaid (Lionsgate) | 4 | 3,123 | $11,200,000 | -26% | $3,586 | $94,154,000 |
| 4 | Zootopia 2 (Disney) | 7 | 3,200 | $10,100,000 | -48% | $3,156 | $378,844,584 |
| 5 | Greenland 2: Migration (Lionsgate) | 1 | 2,710 | $8,500,000 | — | $3,137 | $8,500,000 |
| 6 | Marty Supreme (A24) | 4 | 2,512 | $7,633,062 | -39% | $3,039 | $70,133,369 |
| 7 | Anaconda (Sony) | 3 | 3,075 | $5,100,000 | -49% | $1,659 | $54,273,000 |
| 8 | The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (Paramount) | 4 | 2,567 | $3,800,000 | -54% | $1,480 | $63,631,000 |
| 9 | David (Angel) | 4 | 2,475 | $3,087,465 | -60% | $1,247 | $75,174,491 |
| 10 | Song Sung Blue (Focus Features) | 3 | 2,262 | $3,000,000 | -49% | $1,326 | $31,147,000 |
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