Holiday moviegoing continues strong, especially with 76% of colleges on break this Friday. Studios are targeting an older male demographic with two new releases: the Lionsgate-STX co-production *Greenland 2: Migration* and Paramount/18Hz’s monkey horror movie *Primate*.
20th Century Studios’ *Avatar: Fire and Ash* is set to prevail in its fourth weekend with an estimated $20 million+, while *Greenland 2* and *Primate* are each expected to earn between $8 million and $10 million.
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**Avatar: Fire and Ash**
James Cameron’s highly anticipated threequel has already surpassed $1 billion globally and currently holds a running domestic cume of $311.8 million in North America. The film continues to attract audiences with its Imax, full 3D suite, and 4D/Screen-X/D-box premium auditorium showings.
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**Greenland 2: Migration**
Don’t underestimate the overperformance of *Greenland 2*, which is playing in 2,700 theaters. Gerard Butler’s solid older male fan base is driving interest. A year ago, his Lionsgate sequel *Den of Thieves: Pantera* opened to a strong $15 million—just $200K shy of its pre-COVID-19 2018 first installment.
The original *Greenland* is currently among the top-ranking titles on HBO Max’s streaming platform. The sequel, directed by Ric Roman Waugh, had a production budget of $12 million and around $20 million in stateside P&A.
*Greenland 2* follows the surviving Garrity family as they leave the safety of the Greenland bunker and embark on a perilous journey across decimated, frozen Europe in search of a new home. The film is rated PG-13 and begins previews on Thursday at 2 PM. It’s considered the top choice for men over 25, though pacing slightly behind *Den of Thieves 2*.
Released in late summer 2020 during theater lockdowns, the original *Greenland* grossed $53.2 million abroad and secured a lucrative pay-TV and streaming deal with HBO Max worth around $25 million—a desirable acquisition price for indie films today.
Currently, there are no Rotten Tomatoes critic or audience scores available for the sequel.
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**Primate**
*Primate* marks the first theatrical release from Walter Hamada’s genre label 18Hz at Paramount. Directed and co-written by Johannes Roberts, the horror film centers on a group of friends whose tropical vacation takes a terrifying turn when their chimpanzee companion loses control.
The film generated buzz at Fantastic Fest in September and holds a strong 90% fresh critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. It is opening wide in 2,900 theaters, with previews starting Thursday at 7 PM.
Like *Greenland 2*, *Primate* appeals primarily to men over 25. However, it trails slightly behind NEON’s *The Monkey*, which had a $14 million opening—a horror film from last year also involving banana-eating primates.
Internationally, *Primate* will debut this week in 26 markets, including Mexico. Thirty-four additional markets will follow, with releases in France on January 21, Australia on January 22, Germany, Italy, and Brazil on January 29, the United Kingdom on January 30, and Spain on February 6.
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**Other Releases**
– *Is This Thing On?*, a dramedy starring and directed by Bradley Cooper and featuring Will Arnett as a guy navigating divorce and finding solace in stand-up comedy, opens wide this weekend at 1,200 theaters. The film holds an 86% critics and 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Having grossed $1 million in 18 days from 33 theaters, it is expected to earn single-digit millions this weekend.
– *I Was a Stranger*, an Arabic drama starring Omar Sy and Jay Abdo and distributed by Angel Studios, opens in 1,400 theaters this weekend.
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This weekend’s slate reflects continued interest in both blockbuster and genre fare, with particular attention to films resonating with mature male audiences during the holiday college break.
https://deadline.com/2026/01/box-office-avatar-3-greenland-2-primate-preview-1236665916/
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