Theater counts: Fire and Ash edges out Greenland 2 and Primate to remain the widest release
January 8, 2026
It was once again a runaway for Avatar: Fire and Ash at the weekend box office, securing over $41 million in its third frame while catapulting itself over the $300 million mark domestically. Zootopia 2’s haul of $19.38 million landed it in the number two position and gave Walt Disney the 1-2 punch at the box office. This weekend brings about two new contenders who are set to take aim at toppling Avatar from its throne.
Opening in wide release this weekend is Greenland 2: Migration. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, it is the follow-up to 2020’s Greenland which, after its release was delayed multiple times, went direct-to-video during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest film follows the Garrity family as they are forced to embark on a treacherous journey across a shattered world in search of a new home. The post-apocalyptic survival film will make its launch in 2,710 locations.
Also making its theatrical debut this weekend is the horror feature, Primate. Starting out in 2,964 theaters, the film follows a group of friends whose tropical getaway turns into a terrifying primal tale of horror and survival when Ben, an adopted chimpanzee, suddenly becomes violent. The film stars Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, and Troy Kotsur.
Expanding from 33 last weekend to 1,475 this weekend is the Will Arnett and Laura Dern drama, Is This Thing On?. The Bradley Cooper-directed feature film has earned $1.1 million since its opening on December 19th.
Rounding out the top five widest releases this weekend, we see the current champ, Avatar: Fire and Ash, still leading the pack, playing in 3,700 movie houses. Meanwhile, studio cousin Zootopia 2 finds itself as the second largest release, still showing in a solid 3,200 theaters. The Housemaid adds 53 venues this weekend for a total of 3,123 locations. Lastly, Anaconda drops 434 locations this weekend, but still widely available to see on the big screen, playing in 3,075 theaters.
Looking ahead to next weekend, a plethora of wide releases are set to land in North American theaters, including 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, All You Need Is Kill, Charlie The Wonderdog, andNight Patrol, as well as the 20th anniversary re-release of Madagascar. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will open in approximately 3,000 cinemas, while Madagascar release in 950 locations.
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Theater Counts for January 9
Movie Distributor Theaters Previous
TheatersChange Avatar: Fire and Ash 20th Century Studios 3,700 3,835 -125 Zootopia 2 Walt Disney 3,200 3,285 -85 The Housemaid Lionsgate 3,123 3,070 +53 Anaconda Sony Pictures 3,075 3,509 -434 Primate Paramount Pictures 2,964 New Greenland 2: Migration Lionsgate 2,710 New The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants Paramount Pictures 2,567 3,217 -650 Marty Supreme A24 2,512 2,887 -375 David Angel Studios 2,475 2,900 -425 Song Sung Blue Focus Features 2,262 2,705 -443 Is This Thing On? Searchlight Pictures 1,475 33 +1,442 Wicked: For Good Universal 1,142 1,885 -743 Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 Universal 1,032 1,986 -954 Hamnet Focus Features 232 312 -80 The Plague IFC Entertainment Group 140 590 -450 Eternity A24 63 122 -59 Ella McCay 20th Century Studios 30 115 -85 Predator: Badlands 20th Century Studios 30 50 -20 One Battle After Another Warner Bros. 21 24 -3 The Testament of Ann Lee Searchlight Pictures 4 4 Dust Bunny Roadside Attractions 4 4 Theater count estimates for January 16
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Sony Pictures 3,000 New Madagascar Universal 950
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