That’s important because “Avatar” films are known not for fiery opening weekends, but rather for their unparalleled box office staying power. The original 2009 epic “Avatar” debuted to $77 million domestically and remained in first place for seven consecutive weekends, eventually climbing to $760 million in North America and $2.92 billion worldwide. Not to be outdone, the sequel also managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot for seven weekends and ended up earning $688 million domestically and $2.3 billion globally.

That’s one of the year’s biggest worldwide debuts, while registering dramatically behind the second film’s $435 million global debut.

Heading into the weekend, Disney and 20th Century’s “Avatar 3” was projected to earn $90 million to $105 million in its domestic debut.

Based on initial ticket sales, the adventure isw experiencing diminishing returns. “Avatar” adventures carry enormous budgets, costing at least $350 million to produce and millions more to market.

The newest “Avatar” doesn’t necessarily need to surpass the $2 billion mark to be commercially successful, but it’s safe to assume that “Fire and Ash” needs to become a box office behemoth to justify its massive price tag.

Meanwhile, 38% of opening weekend crowds were 25 or younger, signaling the franchise isn’t just appealing to adults.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” has several other factors that’ll work in its favor,” including an “A” grade on CinemaScore exit polls, repeat viewing over the upcoming Christmas stretch (which is the most popular time of year for moviegoing) and, of course, Cameron’s unmatched track record. Cameron is the only filmmaker with three movies to generate more than $2 billion, the other being “Titanic.” Although a daunting 3-hour-plus runtime has never deterred audiences from “Avatar” installments,” the newest film’s three hours and 17 minute length does limit the number of showtimes per day. And while “Avatar: The Way of Water” was plagued by endless release date delays, those postponements ended up contributing to pent-up demand over 13 years. The third entry is arriving a comparatively short three years after its predecessor.

“Openings are not what the ‘Avatar’ movies are about. It’s what they do after they open that made them the No. 2 and three biggest films of all time,” says David A. Gross, of the Franchise Entertainment Research. “It will be several weeks before we really know how well the film is doing.”

In a surprising finish, Angel Studios’ animated biblical musical David emerged ahead of two other newcomers, Lionsgate’s psychological thriller The Housemaid and Paramount’s The SpongeBob Movie.

“Families are searching for values-driven films that honor hope,” said Angel’s Brandon Purdie. “We look forward to a robust theatrical run as this popular animated musical continues to warm hearts and inspire families.”

Directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”) and adapted from the best-selling novel by Freida McFadden, the R-rated film follows an ex-con who becomes the live-in maid for an ultra-wealthy family.

Disney’s “Zootopia 2” rounded out the top five with $14.5 million in its fourth weekend. The animated sequel has generated $282 million domestically and $1.27 billion globally to date–the year’s highest-grossing Hollywood release.

A24’s ping-pong dramedy “Marty Supreme” broke into the top 10 with a mighty $875,000 from just 6 screens. Those ticket sales translate to $145,933 per theater — the best of the year and highest average since “La La Land” in 2016, according to A24. It bode remarkably well for the film’s nationwide expansion on Christmas Day.

Timothee Chalamet Effect

Due to star Chamalet’s press tour, A24 says that the big budget film ($70 million) played to “sold-out, raucous crowds all weekend,” including exclusive 70mm engagements. Josh Safdie (“Uncut Gems”) directed the 1950s-set “Marty Supreme,” which follows the fictional table-tennis champ Marty Mauser’s pursuit of greatness.

This weekend will see the release of Focus Features musical drama “Song Sung Blue” starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, and Sony’s disaster comedy “Anaconda” with Jack Black and Paul Rudd.

Overall domestic ticket sales are hovering at $8.38 billion, just 1.3% ahead of last year as well as 22.4% behind 2019, according to Comscore.

Despite two billion-dollar hits, May’s “Lilo & Stitch” and November’s “Zootopia 2,” and several surprises like “A Minecraft Movie” and “Demon Slayer,” there were too many big-budget blockbusters that didn’t pull their weight. (“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and all three of Disney’s Marvel adventures, we’re looking at you.)

Would these holiday offerings can push the year’s revenues past the projected $9 billion.

“The final two weeks of the year are shaping up to be among the most crowded and exciting periods in recent memory,” says Comscore’s head of marketplace trends, Paul Dergarabedian.