Filmmaker James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in the blockbuster sci-fi franchise, witnessed a sharp decline in box office collections in India on Monday, according to the latest trade reports.
The film earned ₹8.50 crore nett in India on its first Monday, as per industry data-tracking platform Sacnilk. With this, its total India nett collection has reached ₹75.75 crore so far. Fire and Ash opened strongly in overseas markets, particularly in China, India, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.
Since its release on 19 December, the film has collected USD 89.16 million in the United States, according to Box Office Mojo. Its worldwide box office earnings currently stand at USD 347.34 million.
However, this performance falls short when compared to the previous film in the franchise. Avatar: The Way of Water earned USD 441 million worldwide during its opening weekend in 2022.
In terms of opening weekend collections, Fire and Ash also trails Disney’s animated feature Zootopia 2, which recorded a massive USD 560 million haul earlier this year. Additionally, the film is behind the Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2, which earned USD 431 million during its opening weekend following its theatrical release on 29 January.
The film sees Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington reprising their roles as Na’vi warrior Neytiri and former Marine Jake Sully, respectively. The story follows the duo as they confront a new enemy threatening their family on Pandora.
Also starring Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet, the sci-fi epic has already received a Golden Globe nomination in the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category.
The original Avatar, released in 2009, remains the highest-grossing film of all time, with global earnings exceeding USD 3.5 billion. Its 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third highest-grossing film ever, with worldwide collections of over USD 2.3 billion.
The fourth and fifth instalments of the Avatar franchise are currently in development.
