'Avatar: Fire And Ash' Could Ignite Box Office — Disney, AMC, IMAX Stocks Ready To Pop?

Core Viewpoint - Walt Disney Company is poised for a strong fiscal year with the release of highly anticipated films "Zootopia 2" and "Avatar: Fire and Ash" in late 2025, which could significantly impact Disney's stock performance and benefit associated companies like AMC Entertainment and Imax [1]. Box Office Performance - "Avatar: Fire and Ash" is projected to gross between $90 million and $105 million domestically and around $250 million to $275 million internationally during its opening weekend, leading to a total worldwide opening of approximately $340 million to $365 million [2]. - The previous films in the Avatar franchise have demonstrated strong box office staying power, with "Avatar" (2009) grossing $785.2 million domestically and $2.92 billion worldwide, and "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022) grossing $688.5 million domestically and $2.34 billion worldwide [3][7]. Success of "Zootopia 2" - "Zootopia 2," released on November 26, has already grossed $266.2 million domestically and $1.15 billion worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2025 in less than a month [4]. - The first "Zootopia" film grossed $341.3 million domestically and $1.03 billion worldwide, indicating a strong franchise performance [4]. Fiscal Quarter Impact - Disney's first fiscal quarter will capture the success of "Zootopia 2" and the initial results from "Avatar: Fire and Ash," potentially leading to significant revenue contributions [5]. Industry Outlook - The anticipated success of "Avatar: Fire and Ash" is expected to boost movie theater stocks, particularly for AMC and Imax, as both previous Avatar films were major successes in Imax formats [6][8]. - AMC CEO Adam Aron predicts that the fourth quarter of 2025 will be the highest-grossing fourth quarter in six years, with expectations for the 2026 box office to surpass that of 2025 [10]. Future Releases - Disney's 2026 lineup includes major titles such as "Mandalorian and Grogu," "Toy Story 5," and a live-action "Moana," with "Avengers: Doomsday" set for December 2026, which is expected to be a significant box office draw [10][11].