2025 could achieve a historic milestone at the box office thanks to an upcoming installment in one of the world’s biggest sci-fi franchises. More than halfway through 2025, the year has seen several major successes, particularly in family entertainment. Lilo & Sтιтch cracked $1 billion worldwide, and A Minecraft Movie nearly reached the same threshold.

Other notable successes include Jurᴀssic World Rebirth, F1: The Movie, and Superman, as well as a few original films, like Sinners and Weapons. While there may be a lull in the next few months, there will be another box office boost toward the end of the year, as films like Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2 should have audiences headed to theaters in droves.

However, the biggest box office winner of the year is Ne Zha 2. The Chinese animated film has grossed over $2.1 billion, and recently hit U.S. theaters. The $2 billion club is a rare feat for most films, but it could happen again this year when Avatar: Fire and Ash premieres in December, making box office history for 2025.

Avatar 3 And Ne Zha 2 Could Make 2025 The First Year With Two $2 Billion Movies

Ne Zha 2‘s recent English dub failed to make an impact with U.S. audiences, grossing only $1.5 million in its opening weekend. However, that doesn’t matter much to the film’s overall success, as it already grossed over $2.15 billion earlier this year, dominating China’s box office. It’s the fifth highest-grossing film of all time, pᴀssing Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.

However, it’s still short of James Cameron’s beloved 1997 hit, тιтanic. Cameron is the king of the box office, with three films within the top four highest-grossing movies of all time. 2009’s Avatar is still the first with $2.9 billion, and its 2022 sequel, The Way of Water, sits at No. 3 with $2.3 billion. The director has a strong chance of adding another $2 billion film to his catalog with Fire and Ash.

If the third Avatar installment repeats the franchise’s box office achievements, 2025 will be the first year to have two films join the $2 billion club. No other year has come close to reaching this milestone. 2015 had two mᴀssive box office winners, with The Force Awakens and Jurᴀssic World, but the latter was still over $300 million short of reaching the $2 billion mark.

While Avatar may not have the same impact on pop culture that Marvel or Star Wars has, the series proved it has a large audience, especially worldwide. The films have performed admirably in North America, but it’s the international numbers that have made both films box office juggernauts.

The sequel did make about $600 million less than its predecessor, but there’s no reason to doubt Avatar 3 reaching the $2 billion mark. International audiences love this franchise, and each film is a theatrical experience that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. Cameron knows how to create crowd-pleasing adventures, and Avatar: Fire and Ash will likely be just as epic as the others.