After New Year’s, moviegoing usually cools off — but ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ and ‘Zootopia 2’ are still pulling big crowds.
The post–New Year’s box office is often where hit movies finally start to fade. This year, that slowdown hasn’t fully arrived.
Instead, familiar titles are showing serious staying power, led once again by James Cameron’s massive sci-fi sequel, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
The film topped Friday’s charts with $14 million, holding remarkably well for its third Friday in theaters. That number represents just a 38% drop from last week, a strong sign that audiences are still eager to return to Pandora.
By the end of the weekend, the movie is expected to bring in $36 million, pushing its domestic total to about $302 million. For a post-holiday frame, those are blockbuster-level numbers.
Right behind it, “Zootopia 2” continues to surprise. The Disney animated sequel earned $7.1 million on Friday, good enough for second place — and even slightly better than its performance last Friday.
That’s impressive considering the film has been in theaters for over a month. With kids still on winter break, families are clearly keeping it in rotation. By Sunday, it’s projected to add $18 million, lifting its domestic total to $362 million.
On the global stage, “Zootopia 2” has already made history. The film recently crossed $1.46 billion worldwide, officially becoming Walt Disney Animation’s highest-grossing movie ever, passing “Frozen 2.”
The rest of the top five shows that audiences aren’t just sticking to one genre. Lionsgate’s thriller “The Housemaid” held firm in third place with $5.2 million on Friday, nearly matching last week’s numbers. The Sydney Sweeney-led film is on track for $13.8 million this weekend and a $74.6 million domestic total.
A24’s “Marty Supreme” landed fourth with $4.6 million, while Sony’s “Anaconda” rounded out the top five at $3.5 million. Both films saw typical post-holiday dips but continue to draw steady interest.
Overall, the message is clear: even after the holidays, audiences are still showing up — especially for familiar worlds, animated favorites, and word-of-mouth hits. This January, the box office isn’t cooling down just yet.
