James Cameron Set to Shatter Box Office Milestone Spielberg Missed

James Cameron ’s newest blockbuster, Avatar: Fire and Ash , is rapidly approaching the $1 billion mark at the global box office. This achievement would add to Cameron’s already impressive track record, as his last three films—including the previous Avatar installments—each crossed the billion-dollar threshold. If Fire and Ash manages to hit $2 billion, it would mark the fourth consecutive time Cameron has reached this extraordinary milestone.

Unmatched Box Office Success

Cameron’s streak is unmatched among legendary directors. While Steven Spielberg has only one film, Jurassic Park, in the billion-dollar club, and Martin Scorsese has yet to reach that mark, Cameron’s consecutive hits stand out. His current billion-dollar successes include:

• Titanic (1997) – $2.257 billion
• Avatar (2009) – $2.9 billion
• Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) – $2.343 billion

Interestingly, Cameron shares the record for three consecutive billion-dollar films with the Russo brothers, who achieved it with their Marvel movies: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. If Fire and Ash crosses the billion-dollar mark, Cameron will stand alone at the top.

Box Office Performance and Competition

Recent reports show Fire and Ash pulled in $70 million globally on Friday, with projections estimating a total of $750 million to $800 million by Sunday and $1 billion by the following Friday. Domestically, the film has earned $84 million over its first four days, leading the final box office weekend of the year and outpacing competitors like Zootopia 2 and Marty Supreme.

During its second weekend, the film experienced only a 33% drop from its debut, a much smaller decline than Avatar: The Way of Water’s 52% drop in 2022. The original Avatar saw a mere 1.8% decrease in its second weekend back in 2009, a figure the sequels can only dream of matching.

Challenges to the $2 Billion Mark

So far, Fire and Ash has grossed $153.7 million domestically and $390.6 million internationally, totaling $544.3 million worldwide. Despite its strong start, reaching $2 billion may prove difficult. The film’s domestic opening of $89.1 million falls short of The Way of Water’s $134.1 million, though it does surpass the original Avatar’s $77 million debut. The first film’s overwhelmingly positive reviews helped propel it to $2.9 billion, while The Way of Water’s better opening led to $2.343 billion in total. However, Fire and Ash hasn’t received the same level of critical acclaim, making the $2 billion goal a challenge.

With a production budget exceeding $400 million, Fire and Ash ranks among the most expensive films ever made. Returning stars Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington reprise their roles as Neytiri and Jake Sully, while Oona Chaplin joins as Varang, leader of the Ash People.

Critical Reception and Cameron’s Filmography

Fire and Ash currently holds the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of any James Cameron theatrical release, sitting at 66% from over 300 reviews. The site’s consensus reads:

Remaining on the cutting edge of visual effects, Fire and Ash repeats the narrative beats of its predecessors to frustrating effect, but its grand spectacle continues to stoke one-of-a-kind thrills.

Despite mixed critical feedback, the audience score stands at 90%, showing that moviegoers are still captivated by Cameron’s vision. On Metacritic, the film has a 62/100 based on 50 critic reviews. While the visuals, characters, and action sequences have been praised, many critics found the plot too simplistic.

For comparison, the original Avatar scored 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, and The Way of Water earned 76%. Cameron’s highest-rated film remains Aliens (1986) at 94%. According to one review, Fire and Ash is “the best, most emotional Avatar yet,” with critic Matt Hambidge noting that while some parts felt like “additional footage from The Way of Water, edited into its own movie, ” Cameron “infuses so much heavy emotion and personal stakes into this third entry.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now playing in theaters. The previous Avatar films are available to stream on Disney+.