‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ debuts with $88 million

(CNN, KYMA) - Several new movies topped the weekend box office led by the latest sequel to the top-grossing film all-time worldwide.

Disney's "Zootopia 2" fell from first to fifth place, taking in $14.5 million.

Paramount's "The Spongebob Movie: Search for SquarePants," based off the Nickelodeon animated TV show, opened in fourth place with $16 million.

Lionsgate's "The Housemaid," starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, made $19 million to start out in third place.

Angel Studios' animated biblical adventure "David" debuted in second place, grossing $20 million.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third film in the "Avatar" franchise, opened with $88 million, far below 2022's "The Way of Water," which debuted with $134 million, but easily enough to top the chart.