James Cameron's Avatar franchise has officially become the highest-grossing movie trilogy of all time, surpassing the Star Wars sequel trilogy with a combined worldwide box office total of $5.66 billion following the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash in December 2025.
The milestone positions Avatar more than $1 billion ahead of the Star Wars sequel trilogy comprising The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, which collectively earned $4.48 billion, with other major franchises including Jurassic World, Spider-Man, and Lord of the Rings trailing further behind.
Avatar: Fire and Ash has already grossed over $500 million globally within its first week of release, contributing the crucial earnings needed to propel the trilogy past Star Wars, while the original 2009 Avatar remains the highest-grossing film of all time with $2.9 billion and its 2022 sequel The Way of Water earned $2.3 billion.
The franchise has shattered numerous Guinness World Records including highest-grossing PG-13 movie, highest-grossing 3D film, first movie to gross over $2 billion, most expensive film produced with a $425 million budget, and largest motion-capture project, while actress Kate Winslet set the record for longest breath-hold on screen at 7 minutes 15 seconds during underwater filming.
Industry experts project Avatar: Fire and Ash will cross the $1 billion threshold by mid-January 2026, with the franchise poised to extend its lead further as Cameron has two additional Avatar films scheduled for 2029 and 2031, potentially cementing its position as cinema's undisputed box office champion for years to come.
