Box Office: ‘Marty Supreme’ Nearly Tops ‘Anaconda’ in Christmas Eve Clash as ‘Avatar 3’ Surges Past $500M Worldwide
A24
A24’s bold awards gamble ‘Marty Supreme’ delivers a Christmas Eve shock, while James Cameron once again reminds Hollywood who still owns the global box office.
The Christmas box office delivered an unexpected early headline this year, as A24’s prestige-leaning Marty Supremecame within striking distance of Sony’s more overtly commercial Anaconda reboot during Tuesday night Christmas Eve previews — an unusually close race that underscores the shifting dynamics of holiday moviegoing.
Marty Supreme, Josh Safdie’s 1950s-set sports drama starring Timothée Chalamet as a relentless table tennis phenom, earned an estimated $2.01 million in previews, narrowly trailing Anaconda, which brought in $2.1 million. While the Jack Black–Paul Rudd creature comedy is expected to claim a stronger four-day holiday total north of $20 million, the fact that an R-rated, awards-minded A24 release nearly matched it out of the gate is notable.
The result follows an already historic rollout for Marty Supreme. Last weekend, the film posted a staggering $145,913 per-location average across six theaters in New York and Los Angeles — the highest in A24’s history and the strongest specialty showing since La La Land in 2016. With a reported production budget between $60 million and $70 million, the film also represents the most expensive project A24 has ever mounted, raising the stakes for its crossover ambitions.
Critical response has been overwhelmingly favorable, positioning the film as a serious awards contender even as questions remain about its mainstream appeal. That contrast is especially sharp when compared to Anaconda, which has struggled with critics and currently holds a subpar Rotten Tomatoes score, despite its broader commercial positioning and recognizable cast.
Much of Marty Supreme’s visibility can be traced directly to Chalamet’s unusually aggressive — and often tongue-in-cheek — promotional push. In the weeks leading up to release, the actor leaned into spectacle, including a widely circulated stunt that saw him become the first person to stand atop the Las Vegas Sphere. That moment capped off a campaign that blurred sincerity and performance art, fueled in part by a staged Zoom presentation Chalamet created for A24 executives, pitching increasingly absurd marketing ideas — some of which, including an orange blimp emblazoned with the film’s title, were actually executed.
The real test now is longevity. Specialty films can win headlines with limited runs and buzzy openings, but sustaining momentum through wide release remains the hurdle. Whether Marty Supreme can extend beyond cinephiles and awards watchers into general audiences will determine if A24’s biggest bet pays off theatrically or remains primarily a prestige victory.
Towering over all of it, however, is Avatar 3. James Cameron’s sci-fi epic continues to dominate the holiday corridor, crossing the $500 million global mark on Christmas Day. The film added another $10.7 million domestically midweek, bringing its North American total to $129.2 million, while overseas markets contributed more than $350 million — including a massive $71 million haul from China alone. Through Wednesday, its worldwide total stood just shy of $485 million and climbing fast.
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The broader holiday marketplace remains healthy. Disney Animation’s Zootopia 2 continues to perform strongly after its Thanksgiving debut, helping Disney surpass $6 billion in global ticket sales for the first time since before the pandemic. Elsewhere, Angel Studios’ faith-based drama David and Paramount’s latest SpongeBob installment are holding steady, while Lionsgate’s The Housemaid continues to draw a female-skewing audience.
With Christmas Day landing on a Thursday, exhibitors are poised for one of the most lucrative closing stretches of the year. Schools are out, offices are quiet, and theaters are packed — a reminder that while streaming has changed viewing habits, the holiday box office remains one of Hollywood’s most reliable battlegrounds.
Between A24’s audacious awards play, Sony’s nostalgia-fueled reboot, and Cameron’s unstoppable franchise machine, this year’s Christmas box office reflects a theatrical ecosystem where spectacle, star power, and smart positioning can still collide — sometimes in unexpected ways.
