Although Avatar: Fire and Ash  -  the third installment in James Cameron’s legendary sci-fi saga  -  is not set for official release in Vietnam until December 19, the film has already grossed over 26.3 billion VND (approx. 1.09 million USD) in early screenings and presale tickets as of 1 PM on December 18.

Anticipated as the biggest blockbuster of the holiday season, Avatar: Fire and Ash is projected to dominate global box offices over Christmas and New Year. The film, lauded by early critics and audiences worldwide, has even received a Golden Globe nomination for 2026 before its general release.

According to Box Office Vietnam, Avatar 3 currently leads local box office charts with same-day earnings on December 18 alone exceeding 10 billion VND (over 415,000 USD). The film has captured nearly the entire market share this week, thanks to its massive advance ticket sales and overwhelming audience interest.

A cinematic marvel returns

Described by early viewers as a cinematic wonder, Avatar: Fire and Ash continues the franchise’s legacy of technological breakthroughs. Like its two predecessors, this chapter features cutting-edge visual effects and motion-capture technology  -  the most complex in the series so far, according to Cameron.

“The volume of effects in this project is enormous,” said the director. “At last, technology has caught up with our vision. Our team spent seven years world-building and four years filming both installments simultaneously. It was truly an artistic and creative journey.”

The original Avatar, released on December 18, 2009, remains the highest-grossing film of all time, earning 2.92 billion USD globally. The sequel, released on December 16, 2022, followed with 2.34 billion USD.

Vietnamese audience reactions under the spotlight

At a recent premiere event, James Cameron personally asked Vietnamese artist Rhymastic whether audiences in Vietnam would resonate with the film’s themes, particularly its emphasis on family.

With such strong early momentum in Vietnam, local distributors expect Avatar: Fire and Ash to break multiple weekend box office records  -  and perhaps even surpass the performance of Avatar: The Way of Water.

My Anh