Sam Worthington's New Epic Makes The Avatar 3 Star His Own Biggest Competition
CinemaCon 2025 unveiled several upcoming movies to the public, including actor Sam Worthington's new biblical epic, Zero A.D. Directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, Zero A.D. chronicles the Virgin Mary's attempts to protect the newly born Jesus Christ from King Herod. While Worthington has had a lot of experience as a leading actor, it seems he will be playing a supporting antagonistic role in Zero A.D. as a military leader sent to kill the infant Jesus.
Based on the film's latest trailer and the director's previous success, Zero A.D. seems destined to become another hit film for Worthington. However, its success in theaters is questionable due to another film that Worthington will appear in, Avatar: Fire and Ash. While both films may wage war at the box office, there is still the chance that both films will achieve success and make 2025 a big year for Worthington.
Sam Worthington's Zero A.D. Releases The Same Day As Avatar: Fire and Ash - Which He Also Stars In
Sam Worthington Will Have Two Films Battling At The Box Office In 2025
The first trailer for Zero A.D. has generated considerable hype for the film since it was released at CinemaCon 2025. Despite this, the film's release date willpresent an unusual dilemma for star Sam Worthington. This biblical film is set to premiere on December 19, 2025, the same day that director James Cameron's big-budget sci-fi epic, Avatar: Fire and Ash, hits theaters.
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Since Worthington plays protagonist Jake Sully in the Avatar franchise, the actor will have two new films competing in theaters this holiday season. Considering Avatar's massive popularity as an IP-based franchise, thanks to its last two films, it is possible that Avatar: Fire and Ash could attract more viewers from the newer Zero A.D. The former film could even attract potential viewers who would've gone to see Zero A.D. instead, risking the latter's chances of making a profit.
Zero A.D. Could Give Sam Worthington Another Major Box Office Hit Alongside Avatar 3
Zero A.D. Has Multiple Reasons Why It Could Succeed In Cinemas
The release of both Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zero A.D. could make 2025 the best year in Worthington's career so far. Zero A.D. has gained considerable attention thanks to its director, Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, who rose to prominence with his successful 2023 film Sound of Freedom. According to Box Office Mojo, the latter film made over $250 million in theaters worldwide. Though it was only Monteverde third feature-length film, Sound of Freedomcemented him as an extremely profitable director.
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Considering Monteverde's impressive track record, the director could achieve the same level of success with Zero A.D. The trailer forthis new filmteases a breathtaking biblical epic similar to The Passion of the Christ, which was also a huge hit at the box office when it premiered in 2004. History could repeat itself over 20 years later, as Zero A.D. presents a unique interpretation of Christ's birth and the attempts on his life.
Avatar 3 & Zero A.D. Can Both Succeed At The Box Office Despite Their Shared Release Dates
Sam Worthington Could Have Two Box Office Hits At The Same Time In 2025
As shown by the first two Avatar movies, Avatar: Fire and Ash is geared towards more mainstream audiences as an action-packed sci-fi blockbuster. Since the first and second Avatar movies are ranked among the highest-grossing films of all time (via Box Office Mojo), the franchise's third film is all but guaranteed to be a box office success.
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Meanwhile, as a story about the birth of Christ, Zero A.D. seems aimed more at Christian audiences, which could draw other viewers away from the film and towards Avatar: Fire and Ash. Nevertheless, the film could achieve enough profits with its devoted demographic. Even Sound of Freedom, which NPR labeled a "Christian thriller," was a box office success despite competing with blockbuster films like Barbie, Oppenheimer, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.
While there's a slim chance that Zero A.D. could beat Avatar: Fire and Ash at the box office, they could both still attract enough viewers to become hits in their own right.
Overall, Sam Worthington may be competing against himself at the box office in December 2025 with the simultaneous release of Zero A.D. and Avatar: Fire and Ash. However, Alejandro Gómez Monteverde has proven himself capable of being a blockbuster director, and Christian films have proven to be a successful genre multiple times in the past. While there's a slim chance that Zero A.D. could beat Avatar: Fire and Ash at the box office, they could both still attract enough viewers to become hits in their own right.
Source: Box Office Mojo, NPR
Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Release Date
- December 19, 2025
- Director
- James Cameron
- Writers
- Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, James Cameron
- Producers
- Jon Landau, James Cameron
- Prequel(s)
- Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water
Cast
Jake Sully
Neytiri
Kiri
Colonel Miles Quaritch
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a 2025 science fiction film continuing the saga of Pandora. Jake Sully and Neytiri confront a formidable new enemy, the Ash People, led by Varang. Struggling with personal loss and external threats, they strive to protect their family and Pandora's future.
