Avatar: Fire and Ash Box Office: James Cameron’s Epic Opens Strong in India With Promising Advance Sales
With more than a week left for release, Avatar: Fire and Ash has begun generating strong buzz at the Indian box office. Early indicators suggest a solid opening weekend, as the film has already sold over 50,000 tickets across the two major national cinema chains by this morning. In monetary terms, these pre-sales amount to over ₹3 crore, while the overall weekend advance has crossed ₹4 crore gross, signaling healthy early interest among moviegoers.
The film began accepting IMAX advance bookings last week, capitalizing on the franchise’s strong premium-format following. Booking for all other formats opened yesterday, and the initial response reflects steady momentum across metropolitan as well as tier-1 cities. Despite the limited booking window so far, the performance is considered a respectable start for a big-ticket Hollywood release in India.
Comparison With Avatar: The Way of Water
While the early numbers are encouraging, they remain lower than the phenomenal advance sales of Avatar: The Way of Water. Before its release, Avatar 2 amassed over ₹12 crore in pre-sales, showcasing massive anticipation following the 13-year gap since the original 2009 blockbuster. In contrast, Fire and Ash is arriving just three years after the previous installment, which naturally affects pent-up demand.
Moreover, Avatar 2 had a longer pre-booking duration, allowing audiences more time to plan. With Fire and Ash only completing its first full day of widespread bookings, the comparison is not entirely apples to apples. Still, the difference highlights that the immediate frenzy seen last time is not being replicated at the same scale.
This trend is also reflected worldwide, where pre-sales for Fire and Ash are tracking below Avatar 2. The latter benefited from being a long-awaited sequel to a generational cultural phenomenon. Meanwhile, the third film—though highly anticipated—doesn’t carry the same “return after a decade” emotional weight.
James Cameron Factor: Slow and Steady Growth Expected
Despite the softer start, industry experts remain optimistic. Avatar creator James Cameron is known for films that demonstrate exceptional legs at the box office, often gaining momentum after release. His famous quote—“Don’t judge my films until the third weekend”—remains highly relevant here. Historical data shows that Cameron’s movies tend to grow through strong word of mouth and extended runs in premium formats.
Advance sales for Fire and Ash are projected to pick up significantly as the release date approaches, especially given the upcoming holiday season, which will provide a substantial boost to footfall.
According to Pinkvilla Predict, the film is expected to collect:
₹30–35 crore NETT
₹36–42 crore GROSS
on its opening day in India.
If these numbers hold, the first-day gap between Fire and Ash and The Way of Water will be much smaller than what the early pre-sales currently suggest.
Avatar in India: A Recap
For context, Avatar: The Way of Water opened to a massive:
₹48.50 crore (Day 1 India)
and went on to gross a staggering₹465 crore lifetime,
making it the highest-grossing Hollywood film ever in India.