20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash kicked off early showings with an estimated $12 million in Thursday previews from showtimes that began at 2 PM today, industry insiders report. That figure sits $5 million below the preview turnout for 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which logged about $17 million on its way to a stellar opening weekend.
While box office trackers currently project a $90 million–$105 million domestic weekend, analysts are quick to remind audiences that this release comes during the busy holiday stretch. Studios often see ticket sales spread over several days this time of year, especially for a three-hour-plus cinematic event like this one, so the true picture may not be clear until late January.
Critically, Fire and Ash sits with a Rotten Tomatoes score in the high 60s, below both the original Avatar and The Way of Water, but fan reactions, particularly from social communities like Reddit, remain passionate and mixed.
On Reddit’s r/movies review thread and r/boxofficeOne fan summed up the franchise feeling perfectly:
There’s something about the Avatar movies that really gets under people’s skin… People drooled over Top Gun: Maverick. Avatar hits a different spot for sure.
“Critical reception is solid but softer than previous entries, with Fire and Ash sitting at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to The Way of Water (76%) and the 2009 original (81%).”
That quote reflects the larger fan sentiment: Fire and Ash may not have ignited with record-breaking preview numbers, but its massive world-building, familiar characters, and visual spectacle are keeping the community buzzing weeks ahead of release.
