Filmmaker James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in the popular sci-fi franchise, witnessed a sharp decline in its collections in India on Monday, as per latest trade reports.
The film earned Rs 8.50 crore nett in India on its first Monday, as per industry data-tracking platform Sacnilk. It has so far collected Rs 75.75 crore nett in India.
Fire and Ash started on a strong note in the overseas territories, particularly in China, India, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
Since its release on 19 December, Fire and Ash has earned USD 89.16 million in the United States, as per industry data tracking portal Box Office Mojo. The film has so far minted USD 347.34 million worldwide.
However, the figure is much less than what the previous Avatar film had amassed. Avatar: The Way of Water minted USD 441 million worldwide in 2022 over its first weekend.
In terms of its opening weekend collection, the film is behind Disney’s animated feature Zootopia 2, which set a record-breaking pace with a USD 560 million haul earlier this year.
Fire and Ash also trails the Chinese animated feature, Ne Zha 2, which earned USD 431 million during its opening weekend. Ne Zha 2 released in theatres on 29 January this year.
Fire and Ash sees Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington reprising their roles from the previous Avatar instalments. While Saldana plays Na'vi warrior Neytiri, Worthington stars as ex-Marine Jake Sully. Together, they have to fight off a new enemy after threats to their family's life on Pandora.
Also starring Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet, the sci-fi epic has already earned a Golden Globe nod in the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category.
The original Avatar film, released in 2009, is the highest grossing film of all time, with a worldwide collection of over USD 3.5 billion. The 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third highest-grossing movie ever made, with a worldwide collection of over USD 2.3 billion.
The fourth and fifth instalments in the Avatar franchise are in the pipeline.
