Third ‘Avatar’ Movie Is Off to Slower Start Than Predecessor

The third “Avatar” movie got off to a slower start at the box office than its predecessor, setting up a long path for it to become another blockbuster by the franchise’s standards.

- By BEN FRITZ

Disney’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” opened to an estimated $345 million worldwide, according to the studio. That is the second biggest launch of the year, behind Disney’s own “Zootopia 2.” But it is well behind 2022's “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which