Things can change quickly at the box office, and that shift played out once again over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday frame. Early tracking and weekend chatter had 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple pacing toward the top spot, but updated estimates ultimately told a different story. By the end of the holiday period, Avatar: Fire and Ash (Avatar 3) had pulled ahead and retained its hold on No. 1.
According to Variety, James Cameron’s latest blockbuster once again led the domestic box office, while a mix of new releases and strong holdovers rounded out a competitive top five.
1.Avatar: Fire and Ash takes the lead at the holiday box office
Avatar: Fire and Ash(Avatar 3) continued its theatrical run with $13.3 million over the traditional weekend and an estimated $17.2 million across the four day holiday frame. The latest Avatar sequel has now generated $363.5 million domestically and $1.31 billion worldwide at the holiday box office.
While still a dominant force, Avatar 3 is showing signs of slowing sooner than its predecessors, Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, both of which posted longer legs during their theatrical runs.
2. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple lands at No. 2 at the holiday box office
Sony’s latest entry in the long-running 28 Days Later franchise debuted below expectations at the holiday weekend box office, finishing behind Avatar: Fire and Ash. The film earned $13 million over the weekend and an estimated $15 million across the four-day MLK weekend box office frame. Internationally, it added $16.2 million, bringing its global total to $31.1 million.
Despite strong reviews and positive audience response, the film’s proximity to the previous installment appears to have limited its initial turnout in the holiday movie box office. That was especially true with Avatar 3 continuing to dominate the top of the holiday box office rankings. With a reported $63 million production budget before marketing, the sequel will need solid staying power as final holiday box office results continue to take shape.
3. Zootopia 2 holds at No. 3 at the holiday box office
In its eighth weekend of release, the animated sequel remained a steady presence at the
In its eighth weekend of release, the animated sequel remained a steady presence at the holiday weekend box office. Zootopia 2 brought in $9 million over the weekend and approximately $11.6 million through Monday, continuing its strong performance during the MLK weekend frame.
The film has now earned $392 million domestically and $1.7 billion worldwide. That total officially makes it the highest-grossing animated Hollywood release of all time and a standout in the holiday box office rankings. As more data comes in, the Disney hit continues to show remarkable staying power, drawing family audiences even two months after its debut.
4. The Housemaid continues strong run at the holiday box office
The psychological thriller continued to exceed expectations at the holiday weekend box office, collecting $8.5 million over the weekend and an estimated $10.1 million across the four-day MLK weekend box office frame. The film’s domestic total now stands at $108.7 million, with $247.3 million worldwide, proving that high-concept suspense can thrive in a crowded holiday movie box office environment.
Produced on a $35 million budget, the R-rated thriller has emerged as a rare mid-budget success, outperforming many higher-priced competitors in the holiday box office rankings. With a sequel already in development, these impressive holiday box office results ensure the franchise has a long future ahead as it continues to draw audiences throughout the winter season.
5. Marty Supreme rounds out the Top 5 at the holiday box office
Rounding out the top five at the holiday weekend box office, Marty Supreme earned $5.4 million over the weekend and a projected $6.6 million through the holiday. The film’s domestic total has reached $80.8 million, making it one of the standout performers in the holiday box office rankings.
That figure officially makes it A24’s highest grossing domestic release to date, surpassing Everything Everywhere All at Once. With limited international rollout so far, the film’s global total currently stands at $97 million as holiday box office results continue to take shape.
As this weekend showed, anything can change at the box office. We’ll have the final holiday box office tally tomorrow.
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