'Avatar' Sequel and 'M3GAN' Keep Their Grip on Box Office as 'Plane' and 'House Party' Debut Behind Them

Two films already in theaters stayed ahead of the newcomers at the North American box office this weekend. According to studio estimates released Sunday, James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" and the horror release "M3GAN" held the top two positions, shutting out the new openings "Plane" and "House Party."

"Avatar: The Way of Water" took first place for the fifth weekend running, adding an estimated $31.1 million through Sunday. With Monday's Martin Luther King holiday included, that figure is expected to grow to about $38.5 million. The sequel's domestic total stands at $562.9 million as of Sunday, the 13th largest of all time, and its worldwide haul is $1.89 billion. To overtake "Spider-Man: No Way Home," currently the sixth highest-grossing film ever worldwide, it will need to pass $1.92 billion.

In second place, Universal and Blumhouse's "M3GAN" earned an estimated $17.9 million in its second weekend through Sunday, or roughly $21.2 million when Monday is counted. The thriller reportedly cost $12 million to make and has taken in $59.8 million in North America. Horror titles usually suffer steep declines in their second weekends, but "M3GAN" slipped just 41%.

Universal also held third place with "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." The animated family film added $13.4 million in its fourth weekend, lifting its domestic total to $110.3 million, even though it can already be rented at home.

Fourth place went to Columbia Pictures' "A Man Called Otto," which widened to 3,802 theaters and brought in $12.7 million through Sunday, or $15 million including Monday. Directed by Marc Forster and starring Tom Hanks, the film is an adaptation of "A Man Called Ove." Its success is something of a rarity, as an adult-oriented drama performing well in theaters.

Rounding out the top five was "Plane," a Gerard Butler action film that Lionsgate acquired for North American release. It grossed a better-than-expected $10 million in its first three days. Butler plays a pilot whose crash landing on an island is only the first of his troubles.

"House Party," a reboot of Reginald Hudlin's 1990 hit that led to several spinoffs, finished sixth. It made $3.9 million through Sunday from 1,400 locations. The film was initially meant to go straight to HBO Max, but Warner Bros. shifted to a theatrical release as a gesture to audiences and theater owners eager for new films.