Paramount+ Officially Crowns a New Global Streaming King
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Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender has become Paramount+'s top-performing film worldwide, topping the platform's global movie chart more than a month after its release. The animated feature, based on Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender series, was originally planned for a theatrical release but was switched to a streaming exclusive, a decision that had disappointed fans and animators involved in the production. Its sustained success is being seen as vindication for the project, which also survived an online leak before its debut.
Released on Paramount+ on 25 July 2026, the film has now overtaken streaming favourite Top Gun: Maverick to claim the number one spot on the platform's Top 10 Movie charts. Its limited theatrical run also earned more than $80 million (£63m) at the global box office. It has been well received critically, holding a 90% Certified Fresh score and a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, though a more modest 3.7 out of 5 on Letterboxd, with reviewers praising its animation and art direction while suggesting it deserved a full cinema release.
- Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is now Paramount+'s top global film
- It overtook Top Gun: Maverick despite being switched from cinema to streaming
- Earned $80m+ at the box office and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
Full account
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender has taken the top spot in Paramount+ film charts around the world more than a month after its streaming debut, according to Collider. The animated feature, released on the service on 25 July 2026, was reported to be ahead of Top Gun: Maverick in the platform’s global Top 10 over the weekend.
The film expands Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, whose original television series ran from 2005 to 2008. Although it ultimately became a Paramount+ exclusive, it also received a limited cinema release that reportedly brought in more than $80 million worldwide. Its release was preceded by an online leak, which prompted frustration among fans and people involved in its production.
Collider presents the result as evidence that the decision not to give the film a full theatrical launch may have underestimated audience demand. It points to strong reception figures, including a 90% critics’ rating and 99% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while noting its 3.7-star score on Letterboxd. The report says viewers and reviewers particularly responded to the animation, visual design and the film’s appeal to established Avatar followers.
The second supplied report does not corroborate the Paramount+ claim. It instead concerns Killing Faith, a 2025 supernatural Western that has entered HBO’s international streaming top 10 in more than 15 countries after joining the service overseas; in the United States, it is available on Hulu. Its inclusion illustrates a separate trend of older or recently released films finding a new audience through streaming, but it does not provide evidence about Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’s Paramount+ ranking.
Where outlets differ
Collider focuses on Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’s reported worldwide Paramount+ number-one position, its limited box-office run and the debate over its release strategy. The other report focuses on HBO’s overseas performance for Killing Faith and offers no independent confirmation of the Paramount+ chart result.
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