Disney's 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Surpasses $1 Billion in Just 18 Days — But Will It Boost the Stock Price?

Disney's Recent Stock Performance and Box Office Impact

Over the past year, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has seen its stock price remain mostly steady, with a modest 2.7% increase over the last 52 weeks. However, the company’s strong showing at the box office during the final two months of 2025 could play a significant role in boosting its upcoming first-quarter financial results.

Blockbuster Success at the Box Office

Disney wrapped up 2025 with two major releases: "Zootopia 2" and "Avatar: Fire and Ash," both of which ranked among the year’s most eagerly awaited films.

Each of these movies surpassed the $1 billion mark in global ticket sales, making Disney the only U.S. studio to achieve billion-dollar worldwide hits in back-to-back years.

"Zootopia 2" brought in $1.59 billion globally in 2025, placing it second only to the Chinese blockbuster "Ne Zha 2," which earned over $2 billion in China alone.

Meanwhile, "Avatar: Fire and Ash" reached $1.083 billion worldwide within just 18 days of its release, with $306 million coming from domestic audiences and $777.1 million from international markets—a remarkable feat for the industry.

Directed by James Cameron, this third entry in the Avatar series is shaping up to be another major hit for Disney. While it is on track to potentially reach the $2 billion milestone achieved by its predecessors, it is currently trailing behind their pace, according to Variety.

The original "Avatar" (2009) crossed the $1 billion global mark in 17 days and eventually grossed $2.9 billion worldwide. Its sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water," released in 2022, hit $1 billion in just 14 days and ultimately earned $2.3 billion globally.

Despite its late December debut, "Avatar: Fire and Ash" finished 2025 as the tenth highest-grossing film domestically and ranked among the top ten worldwide. This achievement gave Disney four of the top ten domestic box office hits and three of the top ten globally for the year.

Looking Ahead: Disney’s First Quarter Earnings

While Disney’s fourth-quarter results were driven by its streaming business, the upcoming first-quarter report is expected to highlight its box office achievements.

The company’s fiscal first quarter includes October, November, and December, capturing the full performance of "Zootopia 2" and the early momentum of "Avatar: Fire and Ash."

These two films are anticipated to deliver significant year-over-year growth, especially when compared to the same period last year, which featured "Moana 2."

Investors will also be watching for Disney’s outlook on whether the next Avatar installment could join the exclusive club of films that have grossed $2 billion or more worldwide—a group that currently includes only seven movies, with the first two Avatar films and three other Disney titles among them.

According to Benzinga Pro, analysts project Disney’s first-quarter revenue to reach $25.65 billion, up from $24.69 billion in the same quarter last year. However, earnings per share are expected to be $1.57, a decrease from $1.76 a year ago.

Disney has exceeded analyst expectations for earnings per share in each of the last ten quarters. Revenue performance has been more mixed, with the company surpassing estimates in only four of those quarters.

Disney Stock Snapshot

On Monday, Disney’s stock closed at $114.07, reflecting a 2% increase. Over the past year, shares have traded between $80.10 and $124.69, with a 2.7% gain over the last 52 weeks.

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