Avatar: Fire and Ash Reigns Again While Housemaid and Primate Battle for Second: Latest Box Office Numbers

The new year is off to a blockbuster start, and the latest box office numbers are proving that audiences aren’t ready to slow down after the holiday rush. James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash continues its reign at the top of the charts, while a mix of thrillers, family films, and even a chimpanzee-led adventure are duking it out for the runner-up spots. For anyone keeping tabs on what’s making waves in theaters or what might be worth skipping in favor of a streaming night, here’s the scoop on the weekend’s box office action.

Cameron’s sci-fi juggernaut is showing remarkable staying power, bringing in an estimated $21–24 million in its fourth weekend. That pushes Avatar: Fire and Ash to a domestic total of around $345 million, a 33% drop from Avatar: Way of Water at the same stage but still enough to dominate January’s moviegoing landscape. Clearly, audiences are still enchanted by Pandora, even if the sequel isn’t breaking records like its predecessors. The movie’s continued success proves that the Avatar franchise isn’t going quietly into the night, it's the cinematic equivalent of a stubborn ex who refuses to leave the party.

Meanwhile, competition for the second spot is surprisingly lively. Disney’s Zootopia 2 is holding steady in its seventh weekend, estimating $11 million this frame. Lionsgate’s thriller Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, isn’t going down without a fight, earning $10.6 million in its fourth weekend. Both films are showing that strong word-of-mouth and loyal fan bases can keep movies afloat even after the initial hype fades.

Adding some chaos to the mix is Paramount/18Hz’s Primate, which has audiences wrestling with, well… actual wrestling chimps. The R-rated animal-centric comedy pulled in $11 million, skewing heavily toward 18–34-year-old males, with Latino, Caucasian, Black, and Asian American audiences showing up in fairly balanced numbers. Clearly, some people love seeing humans get outsmarted by primates, and studios are more than happy to capitalize on that fascination.

On the other end of the spectrum, STX and Anton’s Greenland 2: Migration landed on the lower end of projections with $8.5 million. The disaster sequel leans older and male, appealing to a slightly different demographic than Primate, and has carved out a modest but dedicated audience in the West, particularly at theaters like Harkins Estrella Falls, AZ.

Even smaller releases are making their mark. Angel Studios’ political war drama I Was a Stranger is quietly performing well in faith-based circuits, while Sony’s comedy Anaconda has surpassed $100 million globally, proving that even B-movie humor and high-concept silliness can find an audience in 2026. Chloe Zhao’s period drama Hamnet is also turning heads overseas, earning $4 million in its UK opening weekend and positioning itself for Golden Globe buzz.

The weekend’s box office trends show a fascinating mix: tentpole blockbusters holding steady, mid-tier thrillers maintaining their footing, and quirky niche films finding passionate audiences. It’s a reminder that in 2026, moviegoers are hungry for variety from CGI-heavy adventures to politically charged dramas, and yes, even chimp-on-human shenanigans.

As we move further into the new year, it’s clear that the box office is as unpredictable as ever. Avatar: Fire and Ash may still be the king of Pandora, but the race for second place is wide open and audiences clearly have plenty of options for where to spend their popcorn dollars.