Hollywood Box Office Hits 68.4M on Christmas

Hollywood's box office experienced its strongest Christmas Day performance since the start of the pandemic, with domestic ticket sales reaching 68.4 million across multiple films. The holiday surge, driven by returning audiences and a mix of sequels and new releases, marked a significant improvement over the 62 million recorded on the same day in 2023.

Leading the pack was James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash, which earned 24 million on Christmas Day from 3,800 theaters. The science fiction sequel, released by 20th Century Studios and Lightstorm Entertainment, added to its impressive first-week domestic total of 153 million. Globally, the film surpassed 500 million in earnings, building on the billion-dollar successes of its predecessors. Although its Christmas Day figure fell short of the 29.1 million posted by Avatar: The Way of Water on the holiday in 2022, industry estimates project a robust four-day holiday weekend haul of 75 million to 80 million. Theatrical sources anticipate at least 70 million for its second weekend, representing a drop of 20 percent or less from its 88 million opening frame. The film's performance underscores Cameron's track record of dominating...