Outline:
Box Office Leaders for the Fourth Week
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" maintained its position as the top film at the box office for the fourth consecutive week, earning an additional $21.3 million over the weekend. This performance made it the highest-grossing film in North America, according to industry estimates released on Sunday.
The third installment in director James Cameron’s science fiction series outperformed Paramount’s horror film "Primate," which debuted with $11.3 million. According to Comscore, "The Housemaid" took third place with $11.2 million from Friday through Sunday during its fourth weekend in theaters across the United States and Canada.
Continued Success of Animated Films
"Zootopia 2" continued its impressive run, generating $10.1 million in its seventh weekend. The animated sequel has demonstrated remarkable staying power since its November release, becoming a global success and a hit in China. Globally, the film has accumulated $1.65 billion, placing it just short of becoming Disney’s highest-grossing animated movie ever, trailing only the $1.66 billion earned by 2019’s "The Lion King."
In its seventh week, "Zootopia 2" ranked fourth at the North American box office with $10.1 million, bringing its domestic total to $378.8 million.
New Releases and Global Performance
Another new release, "Greenland 2," a sequel to the 2020 disaster film starring Gerard Butler, opened with $8.5 million, securing fifth place. Meanwhile, "Marty Supreme" came in sixth with $7.6 million in its fourth weekend, accumulating a total of $70.1 million in North America.
The remaining films in the top 10 domestic releases included "Anaconda" ($5.1 million), "SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants" ($3.8 million), "David" ($3.08 million), and "Song Sung Blue" ($3 million).
This weekend’s overall three-day box office revenue was estimated at $98.6 million. The year-to-date total reached $327.5 million, marking a 23% increase compared to the same period last year, as reported by Comscore.
Global Earnings and Industry Outlook
After four weeks, "Avatar: Fire and Ash" generated $342.6 million in North America and $888 million globally. Last week, the film joined its predecessors as a billion-dollar earner.
The week’s top-grossing new release was Paramount Pictures’ "Primate," a rampaging-chimp horror film that earned $11.3 million domestically and $13.4 million worldwide.
Golden Globe Nominations and Industry Momentum
The box office figures were released on a day when Hollywood’s focus was on the Golden Globe Awards. Both "Avatar: Fire and Ash" and "Zootopia 2" received two nominations each. Among the top category contenders, A24’s "Marty Supreme" was the only one featured in this week’s box office top 10, finishing sixth with $7.6 million and a four-week total of $70.1 million in North America. The film is nominated for best picture musical or comedy, with star Timothée Chalamet also nominated for best actor in a comedy, and co-writer and director Josh Safdie for best screenplay.
Overall, Hollywood started 2026 strongly. Revenues this weekend increased by 23% compared to the same weekend in 2025, with the 2026 total also up 23% from last year. The movie industry is recovering from a challenging 2025, where domestic moviegoing continued to decline. However, studios are optimistic that 2026 could be the best box-office year of the decade, anticipating the releases of new films such as "Avengers," "Spider-Man," "Toy Story," "Super Mario Bros," and "Dune."