Avatar 3 Stumbles in India Amid Dhurandhar Storm

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the sequel to the 2022 blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water and marks the third instalment in James Cameron’s ambitious sci-fi franchise that began with Avatar in 2009.

The film hit theatres on December 19 and has received mixed reactions from both audiences and critics.

While some have praised it as an “astonishing visual spectacle,” others have labelled it the weakest film in the franchise so far.

James Cameron’s Avatar series has traditionally performed strongly in India, with Avatar: The Way of Water emerging as the highest-grossing Hollywood film in the country after earning ₹390 crore net.

However, Avatar: Fire and Ash is facing tough competition at the box office due to the ongoing Dhurandhar juggernaut, which continues to dominate theatres.

During its opening weekend from December 19 to 21, Avatar 3 collected ₹67.25 crore net in India. In comparison, Dhurandhar surged ahead with ₹99.70 crore during the same period, despite being in its third weekend.

On its first Monday, Avatar: Fire and Ash earned an estimated ₹8.50 crore net in India, according to early figures from tracking portal Sacnilk. This pushed the film’s four-day India total to ₹75.75 crore.

Dhurandhar, meanwhile, nearly doubled that figure on the same day, collecting ₹16.50 crore on its third Monday at the box office.

Globally, Avatar: Fire and Ash posted a strong opening, earning $347.1 million worldwide. The film grossed $89 million in North America and $258.1 million from international markets, according to an official statement from The Walt Disney Company.

With the release of Fire and Ash, the Avatar franchise has now amassed a total worldwide gross of $5.6 billion.

Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water remain the first and third highest-grossing films of all time, with lifetime collections of $2.9 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively.

Two more sequels, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, are currently in different stages of production and are scheduled for theatrical releases in 2029 and 2031.