‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ scores global box-office success in 4DX and SCREENX

A poster for "Avatar: Fire and Ash" / Courtesy of CJ CGV

Sci-fi tentpole “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is proving its box-office power in global markets, posting standout results across premium formats including SCREENX, 4DX and ULTRA 4DX.

CJ CGV announced Tuesday that the blockbuster film posted the highest opening-weekend seat occupancy rate among this year’s releases worldwide in SCREENX, 4DX and ULTRA 4DX theaters.

The occupancy rate for 4DX theaters in the opening weekend alone was nearly double the average of any films released this year, while ULTRA 4DX, which combines features of SCREENX and 4DX, reached about 2.5 times the average, underscoring audiences’ strong demand for premium cinema.

"'Avatar: Fire and Ash' has clearly demonstrated the value of premium-format viewing experiences not only in Korea but around the world," CJ 4DPLEX CEO Bang Jun-sik said. "We’ll continue strengthening our globally competitive special-format theaters going forward."

The film's performance in North America has also been notable. During its opening week, the share of box office for SCREENX and 4DX was more than 1.5 times higher than the average share of this year’s films.

CJ CGV noted that this shows that moviegoers are increasingly prioritizing where they watch a film especially for large-scale blockbusters with rich cinematic universes, as they prefer theaters that maximize the experiential value of the movie.

In the local market, the film recorded a roughly 70 percent seat occupancy rate in 4DX theaters in its opening week. In SCREENX, occupancy was about 10 percent higher than that of its previous series, “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Audience feedback further underscores this success. Viewers of 4DX highlighted experiential viewing, saying it “felt like you’re flying as a member of the Na’vi” and that “the wind and motion effects made the three-hour running time fly by.” SCREENX audiences described the experience as “completely immersive, as if stepping into the film’s world.”

Among viewers who compared SCREENX, 4DX and ULTRA 4DX, many said each format offered a distinct and memorable experience, reflecting a growing trend of viewers selecting premium theaters based on a film’s scale.

As the positive buzz spreads, many now describe “Avatar: Fire and Ash” as a movie where viewers book a comfortable theater seat and travel through Pandora for three hours, reflecting high overall satisfaction.