The holiday box office has witnessed significant activity, with ‘Fire and Ash’ leading ticket sales and ‘Marty Supreme’, starring Timothée Chalamet, emerging as a standout success for A24. During the four-day Christmas weekend, ‘Fire and Ash’ generated $88 million, while the table tennis drama ‘Marty Supreme’ garnered $27.1 million, surpassing expectations and solidifying its place in the market.
‘Fire and Ash’, released by The Walt Disney Company, has quickly become a box office powerhouse, amassing $217.7 million in North America within two weeks. Despite a softer opening compared to its 2022 predecessor, its international performance has been robust, grossing $542.7 million overseas. To match the box office success of its earlier films, ‘Fire and Ash’ must maintain strong ticket sales through the New Year.
The film aims to achieve a remarkable milestone: becoming the first franchise to secure three films with over $2 billion in earnings. This goal hinges on sustaining audience interest in the coming weeks.
‘Marty Supreme’ Shines Brightly
Meanwhile, ‘Marty Supreme’, directed by Josh Safdie, has proven that originality can thrive at the box office. The film’s success is attributed to Chalamet’s star power, as he actively promoted the movie, notably making an appearance atop the Sphere in Las Vegas. This film, set in the 1950s, has become A24’s biggest budget release, with a budget of approximately $70 million.
Chalamet’s involvement has drawn attention, showcasing his appeal beyond that of many contemporaries. The film’s opening weekend broke records for A24, marking a rare box office victory for an original project in a landscape dominated by sequels and franchises.
In a surprising twist, ‘Marty Supreme’ outperformed what many analysts expected from Sony Pictures’ ‘Anaconda’, which secured $23.7 million over the holiday weekend. Despite its success, ‘Anaconda’ faced challenges from poor critical reviews, highlighting the ongoing struggle for comedic films in today’s market.
Box Office Trends and Future Expectations
The overall box office performance during the holiday season indicates a recovery for the industry, as it recorded its best Christmas Day ticket sales since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, remarked, “It was a really solid end to a tumultuous year.” Despite this positive note, domestic ticket sales for the year are projected to end around $8.76 billion, only slightly above the disappointing $8.75 billion from 2024.
In comparison, the total for 2019 stood at $11.4 billion, illustrating the challenges the industry continues to face. Interestingly, PG-rated films have outperformed PG-13 titles for the second consecutive year, generating $2.87 billion compared to $2.78 billion for PG-13 films. The most successful films of the year included ‘Zootopia 2’, ‘Lilo & Stitch’, and ‘A Minecraft Movie’, all rated PG.
Looking ahead, the film industry anticipates a rebound in 2026, with promising titles set to be released such as ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, and ‘Toy Story 5’. The upcoming week is expected to be one of the busiest for theaters, with several new releases aiming to capitalize on the holiday momentum.
As Hollywood wraps up a challenging year, the successes of ‘Fire and Ash’ and ‘Marty Supreme’ provide a hopeful outlook for the future of cinema, showcasing the resilience of the industry and the enduring allure of compelling storytelling.