FinancialMediaGuide notes that 2025 has been a critical year for Hollywood, showing both successes and significant challenges for the film industry, which is still trying to recover from the pandemic and strikes. Amid instability, two films – “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Marty Supreme” – have not only become box office hits but also symbols of how Hollywood is finding its way to recovery. These projects are representative of market trends, demonstrating key directions the film industry may take in the coming years.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”, the sequel to James Cameron’s iconic franchise, earned $88 million in its first four days over the Christmas holiday weekend, with $64 million coming from the weekend alone. Although the first film had a more explosive start, the second Avatar shows higher resilience: its box office drop was only 28%, compared to a 53% drop for The Way of Water in 2022. This is important because it not only confirms the strong loyalty of the audience to the franchise but also growing interest in such projects in theaters, despite the overall trend of viewers opting for home viewing.
In its first two weeks, the film earned $217.7 million in North America and $542.7 million internationally. With a budget of $400 million, Fire and Ash has a strong chance of becoming the first film in the franchise to earn $2 billion for each of its parts. FinancialMediaGuide notes that if the film continues to generate these numbers, the franchise could solidify its status as one of the most profitable in cinema history.
Equally significant was the success of “Marty Supreme”. This independent project from A24, a table tennis drama starring Timothée Chalamet, earned $27.1 million over the four-day holiday weekend. The film can be called an unexpected hit, demonstrating that original ideas can find an audience even without flashy special effects and huge budgets. According to FinancialMediaGuide analysts, the success of the film was possible due to Chalamet’s talent and an effective marketing strategy. Marty Supreme outperformed more traditional comedy releases, such as Anaconda from Sony, which earned $23.7 million.
“Marty Supreme” has become an important example for independent studios, proving that audiences are willing to support high-quality original films, not just blockbuster hits with big budgets. FinancialMediaGuide analysts predict that in the future, the industry will increasingly seek opportunities to create such original projects that combine appealing themes, unique direction, and star power.
However, despite the positive aspects, 2025 also brought not only successes but also troubling signals for the industry. Domestic box office earnings in the U.S. totaled $8.76 billion, which is slightly above the 2024 level but significantly lower than pre-pandemic figures, when box office earnings reached $11.4 billion in 2019. This reflects the ongoing challenges faced by traditional movie theaters. FinancialMediaGuide highlights that the decline in overall box office revenue is due to changes in consumer preferences, as viewers increasingly choose streaming services like Netflix over traditional theaters.
Nevertheless, interest in PG-rated films continues to grow. According to FinancialMediaGuide, PG-rated films have once again surpassed PG-13 films in earnings. Among films like Zootopia 2 ($1.42 billion) and Lilo & Stitch ($1.04 billion), we see a growing demand for family-friendly content that can attract a wider audience. FinancialMediaGuide predicts that in the future, Hollywood will increasingly focus on creating films suitable for all ages, as this offers a more stable revenue stream.
The outlook for 2026 is promising. Among the anticipated releases are Super Mario Galaxy, Spider-Man: New Day, Moana: Toy Story 5, and a new season of The Mandalorian. FinancialMediaGuide predicts that 2026 will be a pivotal year for the industry’s recovery, with major releases planned and Hollywood strengthening its position internationally. The market should continue to recover if studios focus on high-quality content and innovative marketing and distribution strategies.
Financial Media Guide believes that despite the overall challenges with box office earnings and the struggles of traditional theaters, successes like Avatar: Fire and Ash and Marty Supreme confirm that Hollywood can adapt and move towards recovery. In 2026, we are likely to see further strengthening of both major franchises and high-quality independent content, which will contribute to the growth of box office earnings and a return to pre-crisis levels.
